Heaven's Calling
by Copperpelt
Summary: The Clan Wars are a thing of the past now, and things have turned into something like a paradise. But there is a dark evil looming over thanks to the mysterious Kiba. SEQUAL TO LOOKING FOR ANGELS! Based off the song by Black Veil Brides. R&R PLEASE!
1. Unobtainable Desires

_Alice_

Snow covered every inch of the ground as I walked back to the organic market to get the Misaki's latest order. I didn't fear going back across that street, because I knew Shun would come and help me if something happened. I couldn't believe it had been a little over two months since I had been hit by that car and everything changed. I had learned about a whole new world right underneath the one I knew about, and had found out a few things about Shun along the way.

I looked across the street and saw the doors to the market were shut. During the warmer seasons, they would be wide open for everyone. But during winter and early spring they stayed shut tight. I double checked the streets, still being cautious of streets even though I had nothing the fear. I made it to the other side safely and opened the door.

A little bell chimed above me and I was greeted with warm-hearted smiles. I walked up to the counter and told the lady behind it, "I'm here for the Misaki's order." She smiled and went into a room behind the register and came back with a brown paper bag filled with organic foods. I made sure everything was in there. I handed her the money I was given to pay for the food, and turned back to the door and almost dropped the bag. I felt my face light up when I saw her. I yelled out to her, "Bertha!"

The gray haired woman turned and smiled. Bertha was a Caretaker of the Fallens, and one of the last remaining on Earth. Once they had all died, a new, and younger group would be chosen. She could see Fallens like I could, but she wasn't a Bondage. That made her much more unique than me. Last any of us had seen her, she had left the tenement building when Tristan's, now Paul's, Clan had attacked the city. None of us knew if she was still alive. "Alice. It's so nice to see you again."

Her voice was warm and welcoming in the cold air that slipped through the door when somebody opened it up to enter or leave. I told her, "Bertha, where have you been? Nobody's seen you since the final fight broke out. A lot of us thought you were dead." she laughed.

She had on a long, tan coat that came down to her knees, with jeans on underneath and gloves on her hands. "There's still some fight left in these old bones. I've been around the city helping other Fallens. In fact, I was going to return to the tenement building sometime this week. Could you tell them that? So they'll quit thinking I'm dead." I smiled and nodded my head. There would be so many relieved minds when they heard that Bertha was ok. For many of the Fallens in Shun's Clan, Bertha was like a mother.

Which many of them never had or remembered after they Fell. Shun's story was still on the top of my list for the most uncalled for. His parents had helped with some rebellion against the Higher Powers while Shun was still very young, and they had hidden on Earth for a long time until they were found by Hunters sent from the Realm of Angels and killed.

They decided to go lite on Shun's punishment for being related to them, and made him Fall. He's still been the youngest to Fall. And completely innocent at that. But even with all of that injustice that happened to him, he had no hatred towards the Realm. That was one thing I didn't understand. They had killed his parents for fighting for something they believed in, and gave him one of the worst punishments for an angel when he didn't do anything to deserve it.

And from what the others had told me, Bertha had found him and had a friend that she knew for many years. That friend was who we knew as Shun's mother for so many years. My feet crunched under the snow of the sidewalk as I walked back to the café to give Runo and her parents their order. Runo had been doing nothing short of stalking me to make sure nothing major went on between me and Shun, and that he didn't hurt me.

I knew well enough that Shun would never do anything to hurt me in a million years. I was just about to cross the street again to get into the café, when I saw two shadowed figures in the alley next-door. It wasn't something uncommon to see, but those two figures sent chills down my spine. One of them walked out and waved back at the other figure who was walking down the alley and into the shadows. Once I saw the one who had just walked into the street, I knew who it was. Kiba.

He glanced at me with his black eyes and smiled, then continued on his way. Kiba was a Messenger angel who had chosen to work on Earth instead of the Realm. Every Fallen that knew about him, trusted him with their lives. But I had heard some odd thinks from Kiba. Like when Shun had gone off the first time to fight Tristan and Kiba called them pawns and to let some kind of game begin.

And another time was after Tristan's death and the two Clans were going their separate ways and he had said to me something about he would be bored again if he didn't make things interesting and that my roll in all of this wasn't over. Normally I would of told Shun about this, but I had kept everything to myself. It seemed like Kiba wanted me to hear all of this straight from his mouth, so it was intended for me. I was curious who he was talking to in that alley.

The mystery person sent a chill down my back just at his thought in my head. I shook my head and hurried across the street before Runo started to wonder why I was just standing across the street. I placed the paper bag down on the counter and shucked off my purple jacket. "Runo! I'm back!" Her mom walked in from the kitchen and was wiping her hands on a towel.

"Hello, Alice. Runo left to go to Murucho's. Oh, I see you got my order. I'll put them up. You're more than welcome to go after Runo if you want. It's a slow day and I can handle it." I hated that Runo had to stay up under me and wanted to know wherever I went, but she couldn't tell me. I sighed. That was Runo for you. "Thank you, Mrs. Misaki." I threw my jacket back on and darted out of the door.

_Shun_

I was sitting up on the roof of the tenement building, not caring about the cold biting at my bare arms. Alice would have been all over my case about I should be wearing a jacket. I had brushed away the snow from the ledge and had one foot on the roof and one on the brick I was sitting on. My right arm was draped over my knee as I looked out over the city. I loved the city in the winter time. It reminded me in a way of the Realm that I couldn't return to. Easily that is. None of my Clan mates understood why I made this comparison.

I always told them, "I guess it's just cause everything looks so peaceful and pure." My right wing was still bandaged up, and hadn't healed enough for me to fly. It was killing me, because I loved to fly around in the falling snow. Especially when it was a snow storm. It was good exercise and fun. "Shun!" I was snapped from my thoughts and looked down on the sidewalk. Alice was standing there and waving up at me. She yelled back at me, "Shouldn't you be wearing a coat!" I rolled my eyes.

She pointed to the door and yelled, "I'm coming inside! Meet me in there!" I smiled and walked over the snow covered roof. I'd have to get somebody to shovel some of this off, or else the old roof would cave in on us. I dropped down the hatch and walked down the stairs. Alice was by the door and knocking the snow from her jacket. She hung it on one of the pegs on the wall, and found me. She ran and wrapped her arms around me. Even though she was wearing a jacket, her body was still cool to the touch.

She said to me, "You're going to get sick one of these days if you don't wear something other than a short sleeve." I smiled. The tenement building was almost empty except for four or five of my Clan running around somewhere in it and cleaning up a bit. The rest were just around the town. We could finally go around the city without worrying about being killed or getting into a fight.

Now with Tristan long gone, and his second in command, Paul, taken over the Black Iris Clan, the fighting between us had stopped. We had a truce to agree that the two Clan coexist, and it had held up all this time. "I ran into Bertha today. She's looking great." I looked down at Alice, who was still wrapped around my body. "Really? Well, I'm happy she's ok." Alice explained to me that she had gone around treating other Fallens, and would return to us soon. Bertha was always caring and serious about her job.

"Alice!" We both turned to see the four of my Clan mates that were in the building. Mason, Thatch, Ebony, and Adam. It was Ebony who had called Alice's name. Those two had started to become good friends. Alice let go of me and turned to face them. Ebony and Alice were talking with each other, Thatch and Adam left into another room, and Mason shot me a look before following them.

Lately Mason had been on my case about being careful with Alice. He knew I had feelings for her, but since I was the leader of the Blood Rose Clan, that may of made her a target for some rouges looking for payback from the war. Ebony and Alice ended their conversation, and Ebony walked off as well.

I snuck up behind Alice and wrapped my arms around her waist. She squealed as I startled her, and I stopped her with my lips pressed to hers. I whispered into her ear, "How about we go upstairs?" She smiled with a blush on her face and kissed my lips.

_Alice_

Our arms wrapped around each other, and our lips pressed together as we laid on the bed in Shun's room. We had plenty of make-out sessions up here before, and that was it. It hadn't gone anywhere past that. Every time Shun kissed me, I was reminded by some quote.

_Kisses are like salt water. The more you drink, the thirstier you get and you want more._ They had gotten that right. Except Shun's was like pure salt with just a drop of water in it. And if I wanted my thirst quenched, I had to kiss him more to get that little drop of water. But it was pointless, because I only got more and more salt. It was a never ending process. Shun buried his face into the groove of my neck and kissed along it. My skin tingled, wanting more. Always wanting more.

My hands glided across his back, and right up between where his wings were. Although he had them folded away at the moment. It was weird for me to see him now when he hid them. It used to be weird for me to just see them. Now I had grown used to them. My hands found themselves slipping down his back and grabbing the base of his shirt, and pulling it up. Shun stopped me and gave me a look. I could see his eyes telling me no, but they also showed all the want he had.

I let go of the base of his shirt and kissed him back on the lips. A voice downstairs yelled out. "Shun!" I could tell it belonged to Mason. Shun growled and glared at the closed door as if it was Mason himself. "I'll be right back." I waited till he was out of the room, and followed him down the stairs without him having any knowledge. I leaned against the wall and listened in on the conversation between Shun and Mason. "Shun, be careful. The last thing we need is a Half-breed." I peeked around the corner and saw Shun was leaning against the cabinets in the kitchen, and Mason was sitting on the kitchen table.

"You don't think I know that? I have self-control, Mason." Mason was kicking his feet in the air, but held a steady gaze at Shun. "I'm fully aware of that, Shun. But self-control can only go so far. And trust me, if she does get pregnant with a Half-breed, then the target on her back would of doubled in size. And could you imagine the insanity that would be coursing through the city amongst the Fallens if this did happen and they catch wind of it? They'd have a field day hearing that the prestigious leader of the Blood Rose Clan has a Half-breed." Shun's expression had gone from uncaring to a glare.

"I don't need to hear a lecture of everything I already know, Mason." Mason put up his hands up in defense. "I know. I know. I'm just reminding you. Everything has gone back to being peaceful, and something like this could uproot everything we've fought for." I saw Shun walking in my direction and I ran up the stairs, taking two at a time. I slipped back in the room and sat on the bed and pulled out my phone and acted like I was checking it for messages.

I tried to look like I hadn't run up an entire flight of stairs when Shun walked back in the room. He looked annoyed, and I almost thought for a minute he knew I was eavesdropping on him. I asked, "Is everything ok?" Shun reached into a small cooler he kept in the corner of the room and pulled out a bottle of water.

"Yeah. Mason just wanted to ask me something." I could tell by the tone in Shun's voice, that there probably wouldn't be another make-out session today. Now that I knew why he had been holding back for so long, I could try and help and show some control myself. _That might be easier said than done._

* * *

><p>yes, i went BVB. XP can ya blame me? ^^ this is the sequal to <em>Looking For Angels. <em>just so there is no confusion. more Shun and Alice will be included, more angel fights, and more betrayal. ah, the makings of a romance novel. XP well, read, review, and other things! ~Copperpelt~


	2. Brush With An Unknown Danger

_Shun_

Alice had gone back to Runo's just before dark. I didn't think anything about her being out in the streets at night. With all the fighting between the Clans virtually extinct now, her chances of being attacked were miniscule. I was holed up in my room and had my iPod plugged into my speakers.

I wasn't really paying attention to the music. I was more lost in my thoughts. Mason had been stepping his boundaries a lot after the War. Just like earlier in the day when he had called me downstairs to give me a lecture about something I knew about plain and well. I knew what kind of fire I was playing with, and I knew when to lower the flame or extinguish it.

He had no right to order his leader around. I'd make the point of that first thing in the morning. The falling snow outside my window had picked up, and the streets were beginning to pile up with the little frozen flakes. The sky was black, but I could make out the shape of the barrier. During heavy snow storms, you couldn't see anything from the snow and darkness. But that didn't stop me from flying out in it.

It would now though with my messed up wing. I sighed. That injury seemed to become an inconvenience more and more every day. I didn't blame Alice though. She was only trying to help, and I had just been positioned at the wrong place and at the wrong time. If she hadn't shot that arrow though, Tristan might of not been killed and my Clan might no longer of existed to this day.

My iPod switched to a much quieter song, and I could hear something going on downstairs. Mason and Adam were talking. By the sounds of it, Adam was drunk again. His alcohol problem had gotten worse after the War. Not like it was any better before. Mason was yelling at him, and saying something about how this would effect the image of the Clan. I felt the hairs on the nape of my neck prickle up.

I should have been down there as well. That was one of my Clan mates making a fool of himself, and that made him my direct responsibility. Not Mason. I slid out from my bed and walked down the stairs one at a time. When I found them in the front foyer, I asked calmly, "Everything ok down here?" Adam's hair was messed up slightly, and he was holding himself up on a table that was leaned against the wall.

His speech was slurred when he said, "Everything is okie-dokie. Just having a fun discussion with my pal, Mason." He draped his arm around Mason's shoulders. My second in command looked at Adam with annoyance in his eyes. The drunken Fallen removed his arm and held his hands up in defense. I said sternly, "Mason, take Adam up to his room and make sure he stays there till he's sobered up.

Lock every exit if you have to." Mason reluctantly nodded his head, as if telling me he was handling it, and took Adam upstairs. I had made sure I displayed who was in charge of the Clan. Mason walked down the stairs and said, "He passed out almost immediately when he hit the bed…..You know you didn't have to step in back there. I had control over the situation."

I suppressed a growl in my throat. I told him coldly, "I'm still the leader of the Clan and all that are in it. You're the second command, the person who takes over as leader if something happens to me and I cant go on. You have superiority when I'm nowhere near the Clan, but when I am I suggest you stay in your place as that second in command.

So quit running around the place and acting like you're in charge of _my _Clan." Mason held his head up and made sure his shoulders stood square, but they eventually started to fall. His head lowered down and so did his shoulders as he slinked off into another room. I let out a huff of air and went back up to my room. Out of paranoia, I locked the latch on my door.

I didn't want to take the chance of Mason going rogue after I had just put him in his place. I slowly walked over to my bed, feeling the fatigue gripping my body. When I sat down, I felt the room grow cold. Chill bumps went up my arms and neck. My eyes found the thermostat on the wall. This was one of the perks of having this old tenement building; we all had our own thermostats in each room.

So every room was set to comfortable temperature for the inhabitants in them. I turned my heat up slightly. It was already at 75, and any warmer I'd have to get up and adjust it once more. The heat kicked on and I felt slightly warmer. Nothing climbing under the covers couldn't fix. I could still smell Alice's scent where she had been laying earlier in the day.

I hit the little button on my iPod and turned the volume down enough to where it didn't keep me awake, but didn't bother me as I drifted off into sleep. I instantly feel into a dream where I dark figure was staring down on the city. And more importantly; Alice.

_Alice_

I should of left sooner so I wouldn't of gotten caught up in the storm. Although it was very light, it cut through my thin jacket and chilled my skin underneath. The streets had grown empty with the storm, and no people were brave enough to fight the weather. A chill went up my spine, and it wasn't caused by the cold air. I turned around to make sure nobody else was around. The streets and sidewalks were completely abandoned. Was I just being paranoid for no reason?

Maybe Kiba was running around in the shadows. He always seemed to show up around me with something dark brewing in his eyes. But even the shadows were free of people following me. I played it off as my mind being irrational and kept walking back to Runo's. She might of not even of made it back there cause of the storm. She could still be held up at Murucho's.

I was shivering now as the temperature kept dropping. I wished I had stolen a jacket from Shun, if he had any. That way I could have his scent to calm me down. "Need a coat, sweetheart?" I felt my heart jump as I twirled around and saw two red eyes looking at me in the darkness. My breathing had sped up, and my instincts were telling me to run even though my feet were planted with fear.

He stepped into the light of the streetlight that separated us. His eyes were red, but nowhere nearly as bright as they were in the darkness. His hair was long like Shun's and had a shiny, dark bluish tint to it. "I-I d-don't t-take charity fr-from st-strangers." He laughed. "Well, let's introduce ourselves then. I'm Damien. And by the looks of you sweetheart, you can see I'm a Fallen. Right? That means you're a Bondage. Am I hitting any scores here? Come on. Give me nod or something."

I hugged my arms to my chest. Something about this guy wasn't right. And the definitely meant I shouldn't take his coat or anything like that. "You're r-right about the Bondage p-part. Th-thanks for the offer, but I ha-have somewhere to be." He ran in front of me. I was happy to still be under the light so that way if this guy attacked me somebody might see him. "Aw. Come on now, sweetheart. At least take my coat. Go on. Don't be shy. I'm sure we'll be run into each other again, so you'll have plenty of chances to give it back to me."

The warm of the coat was tempting, but I had only a block or so till I was back at Runo's. I shook my head no, unable to talk with my chattering teeth. Damien shrugged his shoulders and turned around. Dropping the jacket onto the snow covered sidewalk. "Oops. How clumsy of me. I'd pick it up, but I'm already on my way. I hope somebody finds it." He placed his hands onto the back of his head and walked off into the shadows. It was almost like he turned into the darkness and vanished.

I looked down at the coat that was getting wet in the snow. I couldn't just leave it there to be buried by the snow and then let it be trampled on my early commuters going to work. I leaned over and picked it up from the sidewalk. After brushing away the snow, I stuck my arms through the coat and buttoned it up. With my jacket and that extra layer of warmth on me, I was no longer shivering.

There wasn't any scent to the coat. Either that, or my nose was so frozen that it couldn't pick up smells any longer. Or I could have been so used to Shun's that it was the only smell I was accustomed to. I ran up to the door of the café and stuck in my spare key. The door unlocked and I hurried inside.

The heater was welcoming to me as I locked the door back. The lights flipped on, and Runo stood in the door wearing her pajamas and rubbing away sleep from her eyes. "Alice? Do you have any idea of what time it is? I was getting worried when I got home and my mom had said something about you dropping off our order and when she told you where I had gone, you ran off.

She assumed you went to find me at Murucho's place. Where did you go?" I hugged myself in the jacket and coat, trying to get as much warmth from them as I could before I took them off. I couldn't tell if the heater was on in that part of the café or not. "I had gone and spent some time with Shun."

I didn't think it was appropriate to go fully into details. I took off the coat I had gotten from a complete stranger that came out of nowhere, but kept my jacket on. Runo looked at the coat when I laid it on the back of a chair. "Where'd you get that from?" I knew she'd go ballistic if I told her a mysterious and dark character offered it to me on the streets at who knows what time at night during a snow storm.

"One of Shun's friends. They didn't want it anymore and gave it to him. And he let me wear it so I wouldn't freeze to death." Hardly. Runo looked over the jacket once more. "That makes sense. I don't think Shun would get caught wearing that in his lifetime." It really wasn't anywhere along Shun's line of fashion. It was too modest and didn't scream danger and wild. Instead, it whispered safe and tame. I pretended to yawn. "Well, it was a long walk back and I'm freezing. I'm going to sleep. Night, Runo!"

I ran up to my guest room before she could say anything else to me. That was too close. I reached into my right front pocket of my jeans and got my phone out. I had gotten a text from Shun. _You ok, Alice?_ I started to think he knew about my run in with the guy in the street, but knew there was no way. Shun was blocks away from where I had been, and even he couldn't see well in the darkness that far away.

I texted him back. _Yeah. Of course. Why wouldn't I be?_ My phone did it's little jingle when my message sent successfully. The phone vibrated when Shun texted me back. I started to wonder why I hadn't felt the phone notify me when he sent that text asking if I was ok. I checked back on it and saw it was sent about the same time I ran into the guy on the streets. Maybe my body was more cold that I had thought at first. I read the new message Shun had sent me. _I was just worried. I had a weird dream where you had gotten in trouble with somebody on the streets. I guess it was just a dream._

My hands almost dropped the phone. Shun had a dream where I met Damien. And if that had freaked him out, then something must of really been wrong with that guy. For all I knew, he might have been a stalker and bugged that jacket or something. Or rigged it to explode.

Ok. I was getting way carried away with that. It was just a jacket, right? If it was meant to blow up, it would of already done it by now. I hit the buttons on my phone to reply to Shun's text. _Well, I'm perfectly safe and ok. I had just gotten back to Runo's when I saw your message, and was about to go to bed._ I tossed the phone on the bed as I slid into my nightclothes.

The sound of the phone's vibrate mode rang out in the dark and quiet room. I hated how quickly he could text back. It was almost ridiculous at times. I had teased him about it a few times and said he should enter one of those contest to see who was the fastest texter and we could win thousands of dollars. He always shot me a look and rolled his eyes. I looked down at the screen and read the text.

_I'm glad to know you're ok. I'll let you get some sleep. Night._ I smiled and returned the favor of telling him good-night as well. Feeling a new ground of safety that Shun was still looking out for me, I plugged the phone into its charger and closed off my curtains to my window.

But not before looking down on the streets to make sure Damien hadn't followed me or anything like that. They were just as empty as before and after I had run into him.

I locked the latch on my window and climbed into my bed. I replayed the concerned and caring texts in my mind and started to fall asleep. I usually dreamt about Shun, but that night, Damien had stolen the spotlight.

* * *

><p>i had actually done this one late at night out of boredom. (there was NOTHING on tv) you know you write too much when your dreams are about the story or are narrated like a story. o.o lol. this has happened a lot lately. i think this chapter was really good. ^^ then again, that's just my personal opinion. it's up to you, the reader, to tell me if it's good. so, read, review, and other things. ~Copperpelt~ PS. check out my old poll if you havent and i've made a cover for this story. tell me what you guys think! ^^<p> 


	3. Dream Weaver

_Shun_

I pressed the button on the top of my phone to lock the touch screen. Relief flooded me to know that Alice had made it to Runo's safely. The dream I had where she was in danger still lingered in the back of my mind. She was walking down the sidewalk in the dark of night. Behind her was a shadowed figure with glowing red eyes. I had thought Tristan's had looked evil, but this figure's eyes almost looked demonic.

I tried to yell out to Alice for her to run, but my words were stopped in my mouth. The figure was closing in on her, and before I knew anything, she had been pinned against the brick of a wall. The nearest streetlight illuminated her face, but not her attacker's. A set of black wings unfolded from his back and dwarfed any I had seen. If this was a Fallen, I had seen none like him.

The feathers started to fall off of the wings, and all that was left were the stick like bones underneath. Alice was trying to scream, but he had his hand over her mouth and muffled her cries for help. I tried to run and help, but just like calling out to her, it was pointless. The attacker lifted up his free hand and caressed her face. I could see tears flooding down Alice's face, and she looked at me. Her eyes were asking why I wasn't helping her. I tried to tell her, but I couldn't speak.

She looked at me like she had been betrayed, and turned away from me. The attacker, turned around to face me, and Alice dropped to the ground. Not moving. The mystery figure threw his head back and laughed. Then, he dissolved into the darkness and was gone. That was when my body had shot up in my bed, and I was in a full cold sweat. I had frantically looked around for my phone and texted Alice. Hoping that she would answer.

She hadn't texted back for almost an hour, but I was still relieved that I had a response from her. The dream had felt so real. Even after twenty minutes of being awake, my hands were still shaking. I wanted to go and make sure Alice was ok with my own eyes, but it would take me forever to get there and foot through the storm. And if Runo spotted me, I'd be bombarded with phone calls of her yelling at me for a week. I slid out of my bed. The carpet was soft under my feet, but was cold.

I had discovered my heater had turned off some time ago. I turned it back on and walked down stairs, making sure not to wake any of my Clan mates that were sleeping. I didn't know how many had made their ways back to the tenement building. Probably not a lot, because they didn't like flying in snow storms like I did. All of the downstairs was empty when I walked through.

I was feeling a little jumpy after that dream, and didn't want anyone sneaking up on me. I made my way into the kitchen next, and poured a glass of ice water. Sitting at the kitchen table, I looked out the window. The storm had started to let up and the sky was growing lighter with the coming dawn. A drop of water sloshed out from the glass, and I saw how badly I was shaking.

I hadn't ever been so scared of something like a dream in my lifetime. It wasn't just watching Alice get hurt and me not be able to do anything. It was the thing that was attacking her that did the most freaking out on my part. If it was any kind of angel, I had never seen or heard of it. There might be a reason if it wasn't just something made up in my mind. Normally people would turn to something like Google for this, but the internet didn't know any real stories about angels and things like that. Only what other stories have said for hundreds of years, and what people think they know.

I made my shaking hands clench the glass I had set down on the table. I just wanted to know if what I saw was some kind of missing angel or a species that had been banished thousands of years ago. _I'll ask Kiba tomorrow. _I realized I'd have to cancel plans with Alice to do that. I could always wait to ask Kiba the day after, but not knowing anything about what I saw in my dream was eating my alive. _Alice should understand if I cancel, right?_ I decided I'd cut the day short, and just tell her the truth that I needed to consult with Kiba.

_Alice_

Sleep was something unreachable to me last night. Anytime I did doze off, I was faced with some strange dream about Damien. I'd stayed awake most of the night so I wouldn't have him invade my thoughts while I slept. I shuffled down the steps, still in my pajamas. The smell of breakfast filled the café. It wouldn't be open for another hour or so, and Runo's parents always cooked breakfast for us before they opened up. Runo was sitting down in one of the booth, still in her pajamas as well. I took the seat across from her and buried my face into my arms and laid my head down. "Alice, are you ok?"

I looked up and smiled. "Yeah. Just didn't sleep much last night. I had some pretty weird dreams." Mrs. Misaki walked up to us and set down a plate of eggs and oatmeal. She told us, "When you two finish up, you need to go and get changed. Last thing I'll have is my girls running around in their sleeping clothes for the customers." Runo and I both laughed and ate our food.

I had finished before her and gone back up to my room. I put on my good jeans and a purple long sleeve. Before going back downstairs, I swiped up my phone and flipped it opened. A little reminder flashed saying for me not to forget my day with Shun. Mr. Misaki then unlocked the door to the café, and wiped down all the tables one last time. The bell over the door then chimed, and Dan walked in.

_Kind of early for him to be up, isn't it?_ He placed a quick kiss on Runo's cheek, for he saw her dad looking at him from the kitchen. Dan took a seat at one of the tables and waved at me. I waved back. The bell chimed again, and Shun walked in. I saw Runo's hair stand up a little at the sight of him, and she cut me a look before sitting next to Dan. I liked the fact that Runo's parents didn't watch me like hawks when Shun was around. Although they weren't that approving of him either.

But they had no say since they were mainly just people I was staying with. Shun placed his lips on mine, and I noticed something was off about him. He looked pale, and tired. "Shun? Everything alright?" He kissed me on my forehead and said, "Yeah. It's just that dream had kept me up most of the night." _Same here._ We both had our arms wrapped around each others waists.

Shun bent his head down slightly and whispered into my ear, "I have to cut our day short. I want to go and ask Kiba something." I felt my body tense up at the sound of Kiba's name. Nobody else had seen or heard the things I had come from Kiba. He was nothing but trouble. "Shun, I don't think that's such a good idea." He put some distance from our faces and looked at me.

"You're not mad that I cancelled our plans, are you?" I mentally kicked myself for not wording what I had said better. I shook my head. "No. I'm not mad. It's just, there's something not right about Kiba. I think he's dangerous, and I don't want something to happen to you." He rubbed his thumb along the base of my jaw and looked my right into my eyes when he said, "Kiba may seem a little off from the rest of the angels, but he's certainly no threat. But I admire your concern."

He snaked one arm around my back and pulled me even closer to him. I knew Shun could handle himself, but I didn't know how well against Kiba. And if he got hurt at the hands of Kiba, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. I had known there was something wrong about him from all the times he had talked to me, but kept it away from everyone else. Kiba was a lifeline to most of the Fallens in the city.

If you took him out of the equation, there could be a falling out. It was like Kiba had everything wrapped around his finger. As is he was the king of a game. A game that involved the lives of the people in them. I froze. He had called Tristan and Shun pawns two months ago when the last fight broke out. And he had said something about having to raise the stakes so he wouldn't be bored.

Was this really all a game to Kiba? Gambling with lives for his amusement? "You ready to go, Alice?" I hadn't even noticed that Shun was standing at the door and holding out my jacket for me to take. "Yeah. Let's go." I took the jacket and swung it over my shoulders and put my arms through the sleeves. It wasn't nearly as cold outside as it had been last night. The barrier was in plain view for me and every other Fallen or angel on Earth. But not it's people. A light flurry was falling every now and again.

Most of the snow had been shoveled away from the streets and sidewalks, but some still remained in little spots. Shun intertwined his fingers with mine as we walked back to the tenement building. We walked by one alley, and I caught the glimpse of red eyes in the shadows. I froze in place, and my hand slipped from Shun's. I was looking down the alley, but there was nobody down it.

"Alice? Why'd you stop walking?" Shun walked up closer to me and I felt his arm brush mine. Just as if his touch had melted the ice that was freezing my body, I turned away from the alley. "I thought I saw somebody I knew. I guess it was just a cat or something."

No. I was sure I saw Damien. He wouldn't be stupid enough to follow me around when Shun was by my side. Would he? Shun squeezed my wrist and said, "Come on. We're going to waste what little day we have if we just keep standing here." I nodded my head and let him pull me away from the alley.

_Shun_

I walked Alice out to the cab, and kissed her one last time before she left to go back to Runo's. I hated having to cut the day short, but I needed to know if what I saw in my dream was real and a threat to the coexistence of the Clan. And Alice. That was my biggest concern. I didn't want to see that kind of hurt in Alice's eyes ever again. I wanted to be able to keep her safe if that thing was real and did come after her. I walked down the alley and knocked on the steel door. The little window slid open and the usual door guard was on the other side.

Although I had been here many times, I didn't know his name. I asked, "Is Kiba here today? It's kind of something urgent I need to ask him." The guard said, "Sorry. He's not in today." I had seen this one too many times to let it trick me. I grabbed the window and told the guard, "Tell him I have all the payments I owe him." I saw the guard raise and eyebrow, and he opened the door and let me in.

"Just don't let anyone see you go back there. Or else there will be a lot of pissed Fallens." I nodded my head and slinked towards the room Kiba stayed in. Making sure nobody saw me, I knocked two times on the door. He knew if the guard let somebody know he was there, then there was money involved. "Come in." I turned to knob and slipped inside. The room was dark as usual, and I made out Kiba's shape behind a desk.

The room always reminded me of something from _The Godfather_ or another mob related movie. Kiba had his feet propped up on the desk, and he was leaned back so far in his chair that if he went back any more he'd fall out. Last time I had seen Kiba, he had left a foot shaped bruised on my stomach and told me to keep Alice close to me in battle. A day hadn't gone by that I thought about what would of happened if I had let Alice come with me instead of having her stay with the rest of my Clan in the tenement building.

Maybe the casualties would have been a lot lower than they were. "Shun. What a surprise. Please, ask me what it is you need to know." There was a tip of poison in his voice. Like he knew why I was there. "I need to ask you about something I saw in my dream last night." A sly grin slipped across his face, and he took his feet from the table and sat upright. Keeping his elbows on the edge of the desk.

"And can you tell me what it is you saw in your dream? I may be all knowing, but I'm not all seeing." I wondered about that at times. I didn't want to dig out the image of that thing, but I had to if I wanted to learn about what it was and if it had any meaning. I described the dream from start to finish, and Kiba nodded his head. He reached into a drawer on the desk and pulled out a toothpick and stuck it in his mouth.

He flicked the end of it and said, "It was just a dream. Nothing of any significance. Purely harmless. Your mind was playing tricks on you." He was lying. He knew something about what I was telling him. My thoughts went back to Alice telling me what she thought about Kiba.

_There's something not right about Kiba._ I reached into my pocket and pulled out all the money I owed him for my last few visits. "Thanks for the information. You can keep whatever change is there." Kiba smiled at me and took the money and said, "Please come back soon." A ghostly chill went up my spine when I closed the door behind me. All I wanted was to get far away from Kiba as possible. Alice was right about him being up to no good.

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><p>aye. i work WAY too much. o.o lol. i wrote two chapters today. and was so picky about them. -.- with nothing else to do, i keep on writing. (again, my friend is going to stage an intervention) do check out the covers for my stories on my profile and do look at the poll if not alreadyd one so. (I know it's kind of old and stuff but oh well) read, review, and other things.<p> 


	4. Precautions

_Alice_

The cab dropped me back off at the café, and I froze when I walked through the door. Sitting in one of the booths, was Damien. Did he know I worked and lived here? Or was he just grabbing something to eat? There wouldn't be any getting past him though.

Somehow I felt like he was here cause of me. I balled my hands into fists and marched over to the booth he was sitting in, but not before grabbing his coat from the chair I had left it on the night before. I stood at the end of the table and tapped my foot. He looked up at me and smiled. "Hiya, sweetheart. Didn't expect to see you here." I tossed the coat on his lap and glared down at him.

I told him sternly, "Ok. First, stop calling me sweetheart. Second, quit following me. And third, take your coat back." Damien placed his hand over his chest and leaned back into the chair. "Ouch. That hurts sweetheart. Right here." He was pointing to his heart and sat up to give me a smug smile that made me want to slap him out of the booth. "I said quit calling me that."

Damien threw his head back to laugh. "I'll call ya whatever I wanna cause I don't know your real name." I was not about to give him my name. He already knew too much about me and I had never seen the guy in my life. "On second thought, you can keep the nickname." Damien picked up his glass of water and took a sip. "Being shy again, sweetheart?" I'd have to deal with him calling me that name, cause I wasn't about to let him know anything else about me. He handed me his coat back.

"You keep it, sweetheart. It looked really sexy on you last night." My eyes widened and I knocked the coat out of his hands. "You followed me last night!" The café behind me grew dead silent, and I turned around slowly to face all the eyes that were staring at me. I felt my face heat up with embarrassment, and I shielded my eyes from the people and turned back to Damien.

He whispered to me, "Smooth, sweetheart. Announce it to everyone. I like that about you. You get right to the point. Here's a tip for being such a good sport. Keep the coat too. I have plenty." He placed a few dollars on the table and walked out of the café with his hands behind his head. I turned my attention back at the money and saw a little white piece of paper.

I cautiously picked up and examined it. It had his name and number on it along with _Call Me_ on the back. I crumpled it up and stuck the paper into my jean's pocket. Runo walked up behind me and asked, "What was all that about? Do you even know that guy?"

I turned to face Runo. The rest of the people in the café seemed to of returned to what they were doing. "Well, I kind of know him. Not saying that I want to, but I do." Runo looked out of the door Damien had just walked out from, and raised an eyebrow. She returned back to taking the orders of one of the tables near me. My eyes found the coat in the seat.

Looked like I was stuck with it unless I could burn it. I still couldn't believe Damien followed me after our first encounter last night. Did that mean that Damien really was the person I saw in the alley earlier in the day? I reached into my pocket and unfolded the paper. I could call him and ask him more questions. Or I could do like every Fallen in the city and turn to Kiba.

What if Damien and Kiba were working together though? I shook my head and put the paper back into my pocket. I didn't want to think about all of that at the moment. My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I dug it out. _Hey, I don't feel to sure about you being alone tonight. You think you could clear it up with Runo and stay over at the tenement building?_

I was aware that it was in Shun's best intentions to keep me safe, but Runo didn't. She would give me an excuse like he just wants me over there so he can drug me or something along that line. None of Runo's excuses were rational, but they were in her mind and that kept me stuck at the café many times.

I texted Shun back. _I can try, but no guarantees. Might I ask why you don't feel sure about me being alone?_ I picked up Damien's coat and folded it in my arms, then placed it behind the register counter so it would be out of the way. My phone notified me of Shun's new message.

_It's kind of complicated to explain over phone. Text me if you can come over._ I snapped the phone shut and approached Runo. Normal people had to worry about their parents saying no, but I had to worry about my best friend going insane. The one time I had stayed over with Shun without her knowing, she found the number to his cell and every landline in the tenement building and called non-stop. Her parents and I finally got fed up with it and took the batteries from every cell phone and unplugged and hid the landline phones.

She finally gave up and calmed down, and since then Shun and I had made an agreement that Runo knew where I was or else he'd have to change the numbers again. "Hey Runo, do you care if I stay over at Shun's tonight?" I braced my hearing for her to give thirty reasons why I shouldn't, but she simply sighed.

I was surprised by this. "Alice, do you think I've gotten too carried away with trying to keep you safe from Shun?" _Yes!_ But I wasn't about to tell her that. I placed my hand on her shoulder and smiled. "You were only looking out for me Runo. That's what friends do. But I do think you may of gone a bit overboard." She smiled nervously and laughed.

"Yeah. I guess I can get carried away. Listen, it may bother the heck out of me knowing that your alone with Shun, but it's your life and I cant control everything that goes on in it. I can try, but I'll fail. Just let me know how long you'll be gone or something like that so I don't start to think you're hurt. Ok?" I nodded my head. This was an agreement both me and Shun could settle on. I pulled out my phone and texted Shun back. _I'll be over there within the hour._

_Shun_

I was surprised that Runo even let Alice out of the house, but at the same time I was relieved that I could keep an eye out for Alice. After my meeting with Kiba, I didn't trust anyone outside of my Clan. And especially after that horrid dream that was concerning Alice. And Kiba knew something about it. I was up in my room when Thatch called up to me, "Alice is here!"

Normally Mason would of made that announcement. _I guess he's still making himself scarce. Good._ Alice had on her purple jacket, and a thick looking dark blue coat in her arms. "Nice coat. Where'd ya get it?" She looked down at it and then hung it up on the coat rack next to the door. "Somebody left it at the café a few days ago. If it doesn't get claimed in 24 hours, it's the Misaki's property."

I rolled my eyes. That sounded like a policy made by Runo's dad. In one of Alice's hands, she had a small bag with her clothes in it. "Here, let me take that upstairs for you." I held out my hand to take the bag, and Alice handed it over. She thanked me and took off her jacket and hung it next to the coat. I hurried up the stairs and put the bag in my room, and walked back down to find Alice in the kitchen.

I told her, "There's some leftovers in the fridge. Help yourself." She smiled and shook her head. "I'm good. I ate before coming over. Where is everybody?" I did a quick inventory of everyone that was still in the building. "Let's see. Adam is upstairs with a hangover. There's no telling where Thatch is in here. And Mason is hiding out until he gets over himself. The rest, I honestly have no clue. Not all of the Clan stay here. The only ones who do are me, Mason, Ebony, Thatch, and Serenity."

Alice nodded her head and told me, "Sounds like everything is going great here. You got a missing Fallen, a drunk, and a sulker." I smiled and shrugged my shoulders. "Yeah, pretty much. I could live without the drunk though." Alice was sitting on the table where Mason was a few days ago when he was giving me my lecture. I didn't really care where he was at the moment.

As long as he was out of my hair and personal life, everything was in good graces between us. I sat next to her, and slid my hand over hers. "Aren't you worried the table will break? You're a lot heavier than me, ya know." I laughed and told her, "There's no way this table will break. Do you know how many Fallens have passed out on this table?" She looked down and scooted further from the center and almost fell off. I caught around her waist and pulled her closer to me.

Heat grazed my skin as her arm touched mine. Our lips met, but Alice stopped me and said, "You said something about not feeling ok about me being alone. Like I wasn't safe. What was that about?" Not wanting her to think I lied and just wanted her over here for my own pleasure, I told her the truth. "You were right about Kiba. He's not what he's been made out to be. He lied to me about not knowing anything in my dream I had. And since the dream involved you being in danger, I didn't want to take any chances. I just feel better knowing I can keep a watchful eye on you."

Alice blushed and wrapped her arms around my neck. "At times I wonder if you're more of a Guardian angel than a Fallen. Maybe you should ask for a new job, cause you do a pretty good one of keeping me safe." Her lips found mine again. _Not in that dream I didn't._ "Hey. I'm gone for two months and the table isn't used for its intended purpose." Both of us jumped at the sudden voice.

I looked around to see who was interrupting us, and found Bertha setting her purse down on the kitchen counter. Alice turned away to try and hide her blush from Bertha. Alice got off of the table first and then me. I said, "You do pick the most unpredictable times to pop up, Bertha." She smiled and cut me a look. "And you pick the most unpredictable places to have a make-out session." This time my face heated up. I looked back at the table. It was a little unpredictable. Even for me.

I could see this was awkward for Alice just as much as it was for me. Bertha relieved Alice by saying, "How about you go and let the others know I'm here?" Alice nodded her head and took the chance to get out of the heavy atmosphere that Bertha had caused. She raised an eyebrow at me and said, "Next time, don't let people be greeted with a make-out session when they walk in the building."

In my defense, I wasn't really expecting Bertha to randomly pop up during that little moment. Alice walked back into the kitchen and said, "I'm going to take a shower. Is the hot water on?" I nodded and told her it should be. Alice thanked me and walked around the staircase to the bathroom. Before I walked out of the kitchen, I told Bertha, "It's good to have you back." She smiled and said, "It's good to be back. I've missed you all so much."

_Alice_

I hurried up the stairs and dug through my bag to find my nightclothes. My face was still slightly burning with embarrassment at what happened downstairs. I took my phone out and the wrinkled piece of paper fell out from my pocket and landed on the floor. I scooped it up quickly and tore it to pieces.

I couldn't stand that Damien had the nerve to leave his number for me, along with following me around for the past two days or so. You'd think he would of gotten a little but intimidated earlier in the day when he saw Shun walking with me down the street. Maybe he hadn't even noticed Shun. Either way, I didn't want Shun to find the paper and think I might have been seeing somebody else behind his back.

The last thing I wanted to do was hurt Shun in that manner. I knew if Damien kept popping up around me and called me sweetheart around Shun, then that wouldn't put me in a good spot. Once I was sure the paper wouldn't be noticed in the trashcan, I ran down the stairs and into the bathroom where I had left the shower water running for a little while longer than I should of.

Once I was clean, I dried off and put my pajamas on. I had to admit, I did feel a lot safer in the tenement building than I had at Runo's. Maybe because I had four Fallen angels that would stand up for me. Well, three. Adam would be too drunk to do anything other than be a distraction.

I towel dried my hair to its best extent and scooped up my clothes and walked upstairs to put them away in my bag. Shun was sitting on his bed and leaning his back against the wall. I stuffed my shirt and blue jeans into my bag, and saw a tiny piece of the paper I ripped up.

It wouldn't of caught any of Shun's attention, and I picked it up and threw it away it the trashcan next to it just to make sure. I smiled at Shun and walked over to sit down on the bed next to him. He got his arm behind my back and rubbed his hand up and down my spine. Shun then placed a kiss on my temple and said, "I'm really glad you're here tonight. I just feel a lot more at ease knowing you're ok." I smiled and told him, "Me too."

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><p>sings- good morning! lol. it's the day before Turkey Day. When family that drives you crazy comes over and eat till they can no longer move. oh what a wonderful time. ^^ lol. my profile now has a new poll. (and it's not about a cover or the story. well, kinda about a story. more like an opinion on a future story) so please check it out. so, just in case i dont upload tomorrow for holiday reasons, Happy Thanksgiving! read, review, and other things. ~Copperpelt~<p> 


	5. Invaded

_Alice_

It was the safest I had felt in the past few days, because I knew Shun was right there next to me while I was sleeping. I had fallen asleep with my back pressed against his chest, and had just rolled over to where I was facing him. I buried my face into the pillow and took in his scent. My mind was in this in between state where I was aware of what I was doing, but I was also out like a light.

I felt the base of my shirt being lifted up to my shoulders, and a hand started to explore my back. My skin tightened from the featherweight touch. Instinctively, I thought it was Shun and didn't say anything. The hand hooked me right above my hips and pulled me closer to a body. Unable to keep my mind asleep now, I opened my eyes. I was expecting to see Shun laying in front of me, instead, I was face to face with Damien.

My body jolted awake. I had rolled over onto my back and felt the sheets touch exposed skin. My shirt was rolled up just how it had been in that dream. I made sure the body next to me was in fact Shun, and it was. My sudden movement must of woken him, because he sat up and leaned over to flip the light on. My eyes squinted shut with the bright light, and I shielded them with my hand. Shun grabbed my wrist and lower my hand away from my face. His eyes were full of concern, as was his voice.

"Are you ok? You look like you're about to be sick." I felt that way. Damien was still invading my dreams, and this was the farthest he had gone. I made a mental note to slap his eyes crooked if I ever saw him again. Shun touched my cheeks and forehead with the back of his hand. Which I saw pointless since they were warm from being under a pillow and blankets.

"You don't feel warm. Maybe you should stay in bed today. Just in case you do start getting a fever." I wanted nothing more to tell him I was geeking out over a disturbing dream, but just couldn't bring myself to tell him about it. Shun slid out from the bed and made his way to the door. "I'm going to run downstairs to get you some water and then I'm going to get a shower. You want anything else while I'm down there?" I shook my head. I didn't even want the water. I just wanted Damien to leave my thoughts alone. What if I hadn't woken up in that dream? Would I of gone far enough as to kissing him? _I'm just happy I woke up when I did._

Out of the window, I saw that daytime was starting to enclose the world. Although I couldn't see the sun, sky, moon, stars, or anything because of the barrier, I was still aware of it growing lighter outside. I tried to sink deeper into the bed and hide. The details of that dream kept popping up. I thought I had felt safe around Shun. Maybe in a physical sense, but on a subconscious level I was nowhere near safe.

I heard Shun walking up the stairs, and then he walked into the room and set a glass of ice water down on the floor next to the bed. I thanked him and watched as he went back downstairs for his shower. I sighed and yanked the covers over my head. The heat from them started to become unbearable, and I removed them to take in a deep breath of cool air. My stomach was no longer doing backflips from the dream, and I decided to take a sip of the water Shun had brought me.

There was no need for his kindness to go to waste. Feeling a little bit firmer in my mind, I slid out of the bed and walked down the stairs. It appeared the rest of the Clan that was in the tenement building were still sleeping. I made my way into the kitchen and saw somebody halfway in the fridge. I saw who the food raider was when he backed out of the fridge with a fully made sandwich. Adam. He set his food down on the table when he saw me. There was a glazed look in his eyes, and next thing I knew, he had snaked himself around me.

"Hey there." His breath reeked of alcohol. Shun wasn't kidding when he said he was drunk 24/7. I waved my hand at him like I would an annoying fly. When I was about to walk upstairs, my wrist was caught and I was pulled back to where I was standing. I looked down to see Adam holding my wrist tightly. He was drunk. There was no telling what he'd do, and then what Shun would do to him afterwards. I yanked my hand free from his. I wasn't in the mood to deal with somebody like him.

Especially after my dream. My second attempt to walk away wasn't any better. Instead of grabbing my wrist, he grabbed both of my shoulders and pulled me back and right into a chair. His voice was rough when he said, "I'm not going to be ignored. Especially by _you._" Adam may have been wasted to no end, but he was still a Fallen. And he still had all of his strength. I tried to look unnerved, when on the inside I was screaming for Shun to help. I just had to wait longer for Shun to get out of the shower so he'd see Adam cornering me. My knuckles had turned white from where I was clutching the chair under me.

It was the only to keep me from losing it. I had gotten my breathing under control as well. Maybe I'd get lucky and Adam would pass out or slip and knock himself out. A endless list of possibilities could happen to him. All because he was wasted. Adam started to approach me with a smug grin on his face, and that's where I drew the line. I yelled out, "Shun!" I had timed it just right, because I saw Shun walk out from the hall that had the shower. He had on a new pair of clothes, and his hair was still dripping with water.

I heard Adam swear under his breath when he saw Shun. Shun's eyes narrowed at his Clan mate, and Adam scrambled to get out of the kitchen. He was gone before I could even blink an eye. I stood up from the chair and got out of the kitchen as quickly as I could. I peered back inside and saw Adam's sandwich still on the table. Shun asked me, "He didn't hurt you did he?" I shook my head.

I only hurt myself by getting splinters from the bottom of the chair. Shun's words were tinted with a slight growl. "I swear I'm going to throw him into an AA meeting one day." He shook his head and walked up the stairs. I quickly followed behind him, not wanting to run into Adam again until he was sober.

If that ever happened. It wasn't like the alcohol could kill him since he was a Fallen, so he could drink however much he desired. Fatigue from what happened downstairs was setting in, and I climbed into the bed to try and sleep. Hopefully without Damien popping up in a dream.

_Shun_

I hunted in every hall and room for Adam. I didn't care that he didn't know what he was doing when he was drunk, he deserved at least a black eye for how bad he had scared Alice. I couldn't find him anywhere in the building, and I sighed as I gave up looking for him. He's eventually have to come out of hiding to get something to eat or drink. Just like Mason had to.

I hadn't seen Mason in days, and started to doubt he was even in the building anymore. It didn't bother me any. If this was how he handled getting put in his place, then he didn't deserve to be second in command. Thatch would have had the job, but he could of cared less where he was placed in the Clan. And the last thing I wanted was a Fallen that didn't care about anything and started leading the Clan if something happened to me.

Bertha was walking down the stairs when she saw me. She had one eyebrow raised, and I realized she was trying to figure out why I was just standing in the middle of the main entrance. I hadn't even noticed I was that deep in my thoughts. "Is something troubling you, Shun? Did you not sleep well? You know I have herbal tea remedies for that."

I smiled. Bertha was a skilled herbalist, which only added to our list of how lucky we were to have her. "No, but Alice might need some." I remembered how she jolted awake like I had a few nights ago after that dream I had with the unknown angel in it. My body let out a small shudder at the memory. Bertha looked me over and said, "You wouldn't be shivering if you dried your hair. I swear, you look like a wet dog."

I looked up, as if trying to see my hair. I never dried it cause it was short enough to dry on its own. Then again, it took longer in the winter. Bertha smiled at me and said, "I'll go and make a cup of tea for Alice." I nodded my head and watched as she disappeared into the kitchen. I heard her call out, "Whose sandwich is this?"

_Alice_

I was on the verge of sleep, but was too afraid of going deep enough to have a dream. I was annoyed that I couldn't sleep without a fear of Damien showing up. It was like he had control of what happened in the dreams, not me. That thought made me worry about everything he could do inside my mind. I rolled onto my back and slammed my hands into the mattress. Shun walked into the room, holding a hot cup of what looked like tea. "Still can't sleep?" I shook my head and sat up. My hunch was right about what was in the cup.

Shun carefully handed the cup to me. "Watch out. It's hot. Bertha made it to help you get some rest." _Does it also keep away stalkers like Damien out of your dreams? Cause that's what I need._ I took a small sip of the tea. I felt my mind and body start to relax almost immediately. I asked Shun, "Can Fallens enter a person's dream? Like, invade them?" Shun raised an eyebrow at my question.

"I don't think so. If they can then there are no records saying they can. I don't even think any kind of angel can do that. Even Messenger angels can't." I saw something troubling in Shun's eyes. Had he had a dream where some kind of angel invaded his dreams as well? "That dream I had. The one where I texted you after and asked if you were ok. There was some kind of angel in there. He looked like a Fallen at first, and then his wings turned into nothing but the bone under the feathers. It was like looking Death right in the face. It felt like he had invaded my dream, but like I said, no angels that we know of have that ability. I started to think maybe he was a lost species of angel that can do that. And I started to believe it more and more when Kiba lied about not knowing anything about the dream."

But I knew Damien was a Fallen, and if what Shun saw wasn't one, then could Damien be something else than what he looks like? I felt the tea starting to grip my mind and body, and I handed the cup back to Shun and slid into a deep sleep. One without Damien, but with the angel Shun saw in his dream.

_No One_

The Messenger angel leaned back into his chair and smiled at his latest customer. A white haired Fallen, who had his eyes covered by shadows while he looked down at the floor. The price his guest paid him was hefty, but the Messenger angel knew it was worth it.

He leaned forward on his desk, acting curious about something he already knew. "Please, tell me why you've come here today. What can I be of service to?" His guest looked him right into the eyes and said, "Tell me where I can find the Angels of Omen." The Messenger angel acted appalled by the demand, but it was going just as he thought.

He stood up from behind his desk and said, "I know a little bit about them, but let me warn you. They're not a bunch to be taken lightly. Do you really think you want to get involved with them?" He added a challenging tone in the end of his question, followed by a sly grin. He was seeing if the Fallen before him was up to the task of finding this breed of angel. "Yes! I want to find them! I want to join them!"

The Messenger angel, seeing this Fallen was the one he had been predicting to come into his office, smiled. "Ok. I'll tell you. But you didn't hear it from me." There was a glint in his eyes, and he scribbled down of a sheet of paper where the Fallen could find what he sought after. He handed the paper to his guest, and watched as his shaky hand took it from him. The Messenger angel smiled grimly and said, "Good luck, Mason."

That was the first time his guest lifted his eyes up to meet his gaze. He saw betrayal and hatred glowing in them. The Fallen thanked him and left the room, and the Messenger angel took a seat at his desk. He pulled a drawer open that would hold the keyboard to a computer, and inside was a chessboard. He smiled down at the game in progress, and moved one of the black pieces.

He slid the drawer back shut and placed his elbows on the desk and folded his hands together. "Another step closer to a checkmate." He threw his head back and laugh maniacally as his pawns played his game for him and he watched. His laughter ceased, and his hair fell over his eyes. A serious expression fell onto his face and eyes when he said under his breath, "I will not fail again."

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><p>i doubt there will be a lot of hits today with it being thanksgiving. with family being together and stuff. oh well. i dont mind. it's a day to be with family. so, read, review, and other things when you can. ~Copperpelt~<p> 


	6. Secret Ambition

_Alice_

I was back at the café the next day. It was a slow lunch rush, and only four or five people were sitting down and eating. My chin was propped up in the palm of my hand, and I twirled a pen on the counter with my free hand. Runo walked from the kitchen while putting on a jacket. "I'm going to Murucho's, Alice. You wanna tag along?" I didn't really want to go. I wanted to learn more about Damien. It seemed like whenever I did need to talk to him, he wasn't around, and when I didn't want anything to do with him, he showed up. I knew I couldn't just say_, "Hey Damien, I don't want to see you so don't show up."_

I wished it worked that way with him. I flipped open my phone to check the time. It wasn't even past noon yet. "I think I'm going to stay here, Runo. I might go and hang out with Shun a little while later if that's ok with you." Runo shrugged her shoulders as she checked through her purse for all of her belongings. "Just be careful. You know where I'll be if you need me." I watched her sashay out of the door and walk down the sidewalk. At the moment, I was regretting ripping up Damien's number.

If I hadn't, then I could of called him and scheduled a meeting and asked him some of my unanswered questions. Like, how did he invade my dreams. I caught something white fall next to me. It was a piece of paper. I looked around to see where it may of come from. Nobody was near me to of thrown it. I bent over and picked it up. Written on one side was _I thought you might of misplaced my old number, sweetheart. So here's another._

On the back was the same number as on the other paper I had torn up. I wasn't going to tear this one apart, even though I found it strange that he knew I got rid of his last number. I punched in the numbers into my phone. It rang once. Twice. Three times. "Hiya, sweetheart. Find my spare did ya?" I felt low for calling him, but I wanted to unearth something about him so he'd leave me alone.

Maybe he'd tell me something about his past and I could send him to jail. "Hi, Damien. I was wondering if you wanted to go to the park? I'm sure you know the one I'm talking about." Shun would of killed me if he found out I was doing this. Not only was I putting myself in danger, but I was also going behind his back in a sense. The sad thing was, I trusted Damien a lot more than I trusted going to Kiba.

Both made my skin crawl, but Damien hadn't said some questionable things like Kiba. Some disturbing things, but not questionable. "That sounds fantastic, sweetheart. Listen, why don't you wear my coat that looks oh so sexy on you." If there were ever a way to punch somebody through a phone, I'd do it. I bit back the words I wanted to slam into his ears and said, "I'll think about it. Meet me at the Bay City park in an hour." He laughed into the phone and hung up. I snapped my phone shut and felt like screaming.

I would of if there weren't people in the café and Runo's parents in the back. I sighed and put on my jacket. Runo's mother walked from the back of the kitchen and took a dirty dish from one of the tables. "You have plans with Shun, Alice?" That question stung. I knew it wasn't a real date I had made with Damien, but I still felt guilty about it. "Yeah. If I'm not back when Runo returns, just tell her I'm with Shun." What I should of said was, _"If I'm not back when Runo is, call the cops!"_ She smiled at me and took the dirty dish back into the kitchen.

I saw the dark blue coat that Damien gave me. Why didn't I leave it at the tenement building or burn it? Or give it to the hobo down the street? I bit my lip and put it on over my coat. Maybe if Damien saw I was wearing the coat, he'd be more open to give me answers. I tucked my phone into the coat pocket and walked out from the café. If I was lucky I'd beat Damien and maybe tip off a few people to keep their eyes on him in case he tried to do something.

The park was in my sight, and I saw Damien laying down on a bench and kicking his feet in the air. I swallowed the sick feeling in my stomach and approached him slowly. He looked at me and smiled. "Looks like ya wore my coat anyway, sweetheart. I almost thought you wouldn't. It really does look good on you. Blue is more of your color than purple. But that's just my opinion."

Kids were throwing snowballs at each other behind Damien's back, and I tried to focus on them instead of the person in front of me. I cleared my throat and said, "You mind if we walk around and talk?" He jumped up from the bench and said, "Sure, but I get to say the first words, sweetheart."

Damien took my wrist and ran, pulling me behind him. I almost slipped on the frozen sidewalk, but quickly found my footing. He acted so much like a kid. It was strange since all the Fallens I had seen acted so mature and serious. Then again, Damien probably hadn't been through what they had. But he Fell. That was traumatic enough, right? I thought back to Shun.

He acted like nothing happened, but you could see the hurt in his eyes when it came up in conversation. I noticed I was being pulled further away from the people in the park, and planted my feet in the ground. Damien was jerked back with my sudden stopping. "What's going on, sweetheart? Need a break or something?" I yanked my hand from him and said sternly, "I don't want you taking me too far away from the only eye witnesses I might have."

He laughed and flipped his bangs to the side with the back of his hand. His head was titled up, and his face looked to the sky, but his eyes were fixed on me. He also had on a crooked smile. "You don't trust me much do ya, sweetheart?" Damien moved from his pose and faced me normally, but the smile was still there. "Not one bit. You know too much about me for my liking."

Damien placed a hand on his hip and raised both of his eyebrows. "And just how am I gunna gain your trust, sweetheart." This was my chance. He was opening himself up for questions. I walked around him and said innocently, "Well, you could start at let me ask some questions first. You know, just little things about you." I hit the innocent act square on. _I could have been a spy or actress._

He wore a challenging smile on his face. "Shoot away, sweetheart." A jogger with his dog and iPod trotted past us, but didn't pay any mind to our conversation. I looked around quickly, as if expecting somebody to listen in. This was my discovery. I might uncover something nobody else knew about Damien. I took a breath. "Ok. Where did you originally come from?" He rolled his eyes.

"Is this the best ya got, sweetheart? I moved here from Wardington. Next." _So he was from near the area._ I was asking these pointless questions before getting to the ones that would make or break me. "What do you know about the Clans?" He placed a finger on his chin as he pondered. "I know the leader of the Black Iris Clan is Paul. And the leader of the Blood Rose Clan is Shun, also the one holding a Bond with you. They fought a few months back and the original leader of the Black Iris Clan was Tristan and his goal was to break the barrier and take his Clan to overthrow the Realm." Damien smiled.

His knowledge was extensive. I was thinking since he hadn't been here before, he didn't know anything about the Clans. But he knew everything. Even about my Bond with Shun. I shook it away from my thoughts. News could travel to neighboring cities right? I'm sure every Fallen near Bay City knew about the Clan Wars. "Do you know Kiba?" This time he raised an eyebrow, and shook his head.

"I don't know many of the angels around here in these parts, but I do know he's a Messenger angel. Not sure what he looks like or what his persona is." I believed him. He honestly knew nothing about Kiba. That scratched away my theory of them working together on something big. Then who was the shady figure Kiba was talking with in the alley? I shook my head, and tried to sound serious. "Enough beating around the bush. I know you're not a Fallen. At least not a normal Fallen. How do you know so much about me and how have you been getting in my dreams?" I was right up next to his face, and had my eyes narrowed at him.

Damien's eyes were wide with surprise and what looked like shock. A small smile tugged at the side of his lips. "So you caught onto my lie about being a Fallen. Clever girl." I felt a sense of victory. I hadn't figured it out, it was more of a hunch. "Now answer the last two questions. How do you know so much about me and how have you gotten into my mind? What are you? _Who _are you?" Damien didn't have a smile on his face this time. Without the sarcastic smile, he looked much older and mature.

"I'm a Half-breed. My father was a Messenger angel and my mother was human. I got some of his abilities of knowledge, but not enough to be considered a Messenger. That's how I know so much about you. Trust me, Messenger angels know a lot more about you than I do. As for the dreams, I haven't been invading them. No known angel has that ability. But I do find it sweet you've been dreaming about me." I couldn't believe he was telling me I had dreamt of him on my own will. Why would I dream about him?

"Are you sure there aren't any angels that can control dreams?" I was asking on Shun's behalf. Since Damien was part Messenger angel, he had to know something about Shun's dream. "What are you trying to dig at, sweetheart? I told you, _no known angels can do that._" His voice sounded honest and sincere. "Ok, I have one more question. Can you tell me something about this dream that somebody I know had?"

I didn't want to bring Shun's name, because he might not of wanted me to give his name out without his permission first. "Can I get a description of this dream?" I brought back what Shun had told me about the dream he had. I started to tell Damien what the mystery angel looked like and what I had happened to me. All the color drained from his face, and he looked frail. He turned his back to me. "I don't know anything. It sounds just like a bad dream to me." I could see the lies coming from his mouth. What was it about these Messenger angels that drew the line at that dream.

"You know something, now tell me." Damien spun around and latched his arms onto my shoulders. His voice was threatening when he said, "I told you I don't know anything about that dream. Now leave it at that." His grip tightened on my shoulders, and I bit my lip and felt tears wet my eyes from the pain. Damien saw he was hurting me, and let go. I dropped to the ground at his feet and rubbed my burning shoulders. "I-I'm sorry. It's just, I'm not supposed to talk about that. I wish I could tell you, but I can't. I'm not even supposed to know about it since I'm not a Messenger angel. Sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

His hand was held out for me to grab onto. I looked around. People were starting to stare. Had they seen Damien almost pick me up off the ground? I cautiously took his hand, and he pulled me up. With my hands still holding my shoulders, I said sheepishly, "Thanks." I didn't trust Damien from the start, and I sure as hell didn't trust him now. What was so bad in that dream that Messenger angels couldn't talk about? Shun had told me Kiba acted like he didn't want to tell him anything about the dream. While Damien wanted to tell me everything he knew. I wasn't angry at him for hurting my arms.

He was just keeping something important a secret. I was kind of mad at him. More scared and startled than anything. "I think I should get going. Thanks for answering my questions, Damien." I started to walk away. I didn't know where I was going, but I knew I shouldn't stay around him anymore. I heard him say, "Wait up, sweetheart!" I rolled my eyes and turned around. He was back to himself again. He was running up to me, and stopped a few inches short of me. I hadn't noticed his height before. My eyes came up to about the bridge of his nose. "What do you want, Damien?"

Before my mind could react, his lips had smashed against mine and he pulled me close to his body by grabbing onto my shoulders he had hurt. I was able to get my hands up and pushed him away from me. I was shocked that he had pulled that stunt, and without thinking, I slapped him in his face. His head was turned in the direction I hit him, and I saw a red handprint forming on his cheek.

I shook my head and stomped away. I already felt bad about going and agreeing to meet up with Damien, and now I felt horrible about letting him kiss me. I shouldn't of felt bad about it since he was the one who put his lips to mine, and I hadn't even kissed back. Had I? I didn't even know. My mind was too taken aback to register anything other than his lips touched mine. Without knowing it, I was walking in the direction of the tenement building. Shun wasn't there today.

He was somewhere out in the city running an errand. I didn't remember what he had said to me. My mind started to panic as I thought he may of gone looking for me and saw me walking with Damien. That alone might of made him angry enough to leave without him seeing me slap some sense into Damien. No. The odds of that happening was zero to none. I was worrying too much. I found myself walking into the tenement building. Bertha walked out from the kitchen to see who had entered.

"Alice? Shun's not here right now if that's why you're here…..Is something troubling you child? You look unwell." I shook my head and made my way up the stairs. "I'm fine Bertha. Just had an off day." I didn't pick up the wavering in my voice. I slipped into Shun's room and closed the door behind me. I didn't bother locking the latch. Everyone knew if Shun's door was closed that meant somebody was inside and didn't want to be disturbed. I laid down on the bed and buried my face into his pillow.

That was as much comforting I was going to get at the moment. I felt my phone vibrate in my coat pocket. Correction. _Damien's_ coat pocket. If I wasn't so out of it, I would of torn the coat from my body and disposed of it immediately. I sat up and dug my phone and saw I had a text. _Please be Shun. Please be him and say he's making his way back to the tenement building and is asking if I want to come over. Please._ I read the message. My hand tightened around the phone, and I heard the battery back pop off.

It was a text from Damien. I had forgotten about Caller-ID. He was using it to his advantage to talk back to me. _Sorry about everything that happened back there. I don't know what came over me._ I flung the phone across the room. It hit the wall and slid down and landed on the carpet. I didn't know if it was broken, and I didn't care. It only meant that was one less way for Damien to talk to me. I took his coat off and balled it up and threw it next to the phone.

I still didn't know why I had worn it that long anyway. I buried my face back into the pillow again. The door behind me clicked open. My eyes shot open with the hope it was Shun. I sat up and saw Adam walk into the room. I narrowed my eyes. "You're the last person I want to talk to, Adam." He rolled his eyes. The way he was walking and responding to his surroundings, showed me he wasn't drunk. _That's a first._ He held his hands up in defense and saw my phone and Damien's jacket lying on the floor. He bent over and picked up the phone and handed it back to me.

I looked at it and back up to Adam. "Well excuse me for trying to be nice." He tossed the phone on the drawers in the room. I asked him, "Why are you in here? Don't you know that when the door is closed it means stay out? Or were you too drunk that day to understand?" I didn't mean to be that cold, but I had. I wasn't in the mood to be messed with. Adam raised an eyebrow at me. "I know a guy that can tell you everything you need to know about Shun's dream. And he's not a Messenger so he'll talk."

Adam folded his arms over his chest as he waited for my response. I asked, "How did you know about the dream?" Adam laughed and stuff his hands into his pockets. "Shun sucks at keeping secrets. Especially when he doesn't know a supposed drunk is fully aware of what's going on and hears his conversation with a certain Bondage." I sighed. So that's how he knew.

He had eavesdropped on Shun's conversation with me last night. I started to wonder what else he had heard us talk about and say to each other. "Who's this guy you know?" I wanted to make sure he wasn't somebody with sixty arrest warrants out for his head. "He goes by Specks. He's a major computer nerd and can get his hands on as much info as any Messenger. And he's willing to spill it all. If you have an idea, he can make it happen. For the right price that is, but he owes me a favor anyway."

I bit the inside of my lip as I thought about what Adam had told me. I asked him, "Why aren't you telling Shun this?" Adam shrugged his shoulders and walked towards the door. "I was, but I decided to tell you before I got drunk and forgot." He was pushing my insult back at me. He was about to shut the door back when I stopped him. "Adam. Thanks." He nodded his head and almost closed the door, but swung it back open.

"By the way, keep the romance talk down. You two say some of the most out there things I have ever heard. Then again, you two don't know I hear it. Oh well. That's what makes it interesting." The door clicked shut, and I was left with a blush on my face. Maybe I should mention to Shun about soundproofing the walls now that I knew about Adam's eavesdropping. That would come after I told him about this Specks.

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><p>longest. chapter. i. have. ever. written. i swear, i was in the zone on this one. i didnt even hear my music or the tv going on. i was totally into the story. 0.0 strangeness. lol. i guess that's what Panic! At The Disco and Escape The Fate will do to you. lol. i honestly think Falling In Reverse is better than Escape The Fate now that the lead singer got out of jail. o.o eh, that's what jail time will do to you. i think he was arrested for murder. -shrugs- eh. oh well. anyone going Black Friday shopping, be safe and careful. in fact, me and my friend are going and turning it into a game. lol. it's whoever dies first, is the loser. lol. read, review, and other things. ~Copperpelt~<p> 


	7. Shining Light On The Problem

_Shun_

When I walked through the door of the tenement building, I knocked the snow off of my pants and shoes. I had to admit, it was cold outside. Even for me. The heater was running in the main entrance of the building, and I sighed with relief to have the cold let up. I had gone out into the city to check up on as many of my Clan mates as I could find. After doing a quick count, I found the majority of them and everything seemed to be going smoothly between the two Clans now.

It didn't seem like anything could disturb this peaceful living we had acquired with the death of Tristan. An aroma filled the building, and I figured out quickly what it was. I double checked my guess and saw I was correct. Bertha was in the kitchen and cooking up what looked like soup. I walked into the kitchen and told her, "It smells good as always, Bertha."

I stood next to her and saw her smiling with her eyes closed as she stirred the contents of the pot on the stove. "Why thank you, Shun." I peered over her and thought it looked like vegetable beef soup. That was her specialty on freezing days like this. I asked her, "Need any help?" Bertha took a little of the soup in the wooden spoon she used to stir it, and sipped it.

"I've got it. But thank you for the offer." Her finger glanced over the spices above the stove and she snatched up the pepper and shook some into the stew. She was stirring in the new ingredient when she said, "Alice came by today. She seemed upset about something. I tried to tell her that you weren't here, but she went ahead up to your room. I think she's still there unless she snuck past me. Which I really doubt that happened." I left the kitchen and walked up the stairs to my room.

What could of gotten Alice all out of sorts? A fight with Runo or one of the others? No. Alice was too nice for them to get into an argument with. Then what could of done it? I couldn't of been me. I had made sure to tell her I wasn't going to be free today. I reached for the doorknob. It was locked. I knocked on the door. "Alice, open up. It's me." I stood there a few seconds before knocking again.

She made it quite obvious that she wasn't about to open the door. She might of fallen asleep. _Alice will have to come out eventually._ I made my way down the stairs and back to the kitchen with Bertha. A few other of my Clan mates had joined in there from the smell of food. I saw Thatch, Ebony, Serenity, Adam, and Len.

Len had showed up some time this morning because he was having issues with his roommates back at his apartment. I double checked the room. Mason wasn't anywhere to be seen. His absence was starting to become a pain. If he was still sulking from our argument almost a week ago, then he needed to find a new attitude. I suspected that he wasn't in the building, but this was his home. Bertha turned the heat to low on the stove and said, "Ok. It's done. Help yourselves, but don't make a mess."

My Clan mates jumped up and grabbed bowls and poured the soup into them and took a seat at the table. I didn't budge though. Something about Mason missing for so long sent a chill down my spine. In fact, everything that had happened lately gave me a bad feeling. All from Mason to Kiba to my dream. I couldn't shake the feeling of something big waiting in the shadows. Bertha held out a bowl to me. "Aren't you going to have some, Shun?" She saw I was troubled and was trying to get my mind away from my problems. I shook my head. "Not right now. Maybe later. I think I'm going to check on Alice again."

Bertha nodded and I walked back up the stairs. This time, the door was cracked ever so slightly. I reached for the knob and pushed it open slowly. I felt an icy cold crawl up my arm when I touched the knob. I bit through the cold and pushed to door open enough for me to slip through. The lights were off and pitch darkness filled the room. My hand felt around on the wall for the light switch.

I found the switch and flipped the lights on. I felt my stomach drop. Standing over Alice's sleeping body, was the angel from my dream. In the light, I saw him more clearly. The featherless wings were just as I had remembered, his body was covered with mist like shadows that made something like a robe covering him from his head to his feet, and the only part of his face that stood out were his glowing red eyes.

His hand was outstretched as if he were about to grab Alice, when he turned and saw me. I was frozen in place just like I had been in my dream. He stopped a few inches short of her, and turned to face me. His face was blacked out except his eyes, and he then disappeared into a dark mist and was gone. Alice's eyes opened and she sat up and looked around the room. She found me and said, "Shun?" My legs and hands were shaking, and I stumbled back against the wall and slid down to the floor.

_Alice_

All the color had drained from Shun's face when I woke up. He had slid down the wall and was sitting on the floor. His hands were shaking, and he was trying to get a hold of his breath. I quickly slid off the bed and ran over next to him. "Shun, what's wrong?" Everything that had happened earlier in the day with Damien flew from my thoughts. Right then, Shun was my top concern.

"I-I saw him. H-He was in here." _He? _I didn't know what to do. Had Shun lost his mind or something? I placed my hand on Shun's arm and said, "What do you mean _he _was in here?" Shun's hands had stopped shaking, and his breathing was starting to return back to normal as well. His voice sounded dry when he spoke. "That angel. From my dream. He was standing right over you and was about to grab you." I got a hollow feeling inside with the thought that this unknown being was standing right over me.

And it wasn't in a dream this time. It was for real. Shun ran his hands through his hair and said, "And I was too scared to move to help you. Just like in my dream." It was plain to see that neither of us were going to sleep easy that night. I didn't want to stay in his room knowing that I was being watched over while I was sleeping, but I also didn't want to be by myself at Runo's.

Shun wouldn't rest easy either. I took a deep breath. Now was as good of a time to tell Shun about the person Adam informed me of. "Shun. I know somebody that can shine some light on your dream. And he's willing to tell us everything he knows." Shun leaned his head back and looked at the ceiling of his room. "I'll try anything as long as I have an answer and can put all of this to rest and behind me so I never have to look at it again." I heard the desperation in his voice.

It was then that I saw how much that dream was tearing him apart inside. Shun looked at me and asked, "Who is this person you know that can help?" His voice sounded drained and tired. I told him, "He's one of Adam's friends. That's all I know. You're going to have to talk with Adam to learn more about him." Shun tilted his head back and closed his eyes. "Great."

_Shun_

How desperate had I become to where I was trusting one of Adam's friends? I opened my eyes and was faced with the ceiling of my roof. I didn't have much choice but to trust this guy. If he knew something about my dream and was willing to tell me, then I had no other option. Alice was still sitting down in front of me and looked completely lost on what to do now. The neck of her shirt had fallen slightly below her shoulder, and I saw a purple-bluish mark. "What happened to your shoulder?"

Her eyes widened and she quickly pulled her shirt back over her shoulder, but the other side fell low and revealed another mark like the other. "How did this happen?" She covered both shoulders up and stood up. "I guess that thing did this to me when I was sleeping." I saw the lie in her eyes. I had walked into my room before that mystery angel even laid a hand on her.

I got off the floor and stood in front of her. "Alice, just tell me what really happened." She placed her hands on her shoulders to cover the bruises. "I want to tell you. I really do. But it might be best if I don't. Not now at least. You already have enough stress going on at the moment." I was about to reach for her wrist when she said, "I should get going. Runo might start to worry soon."

I didn't have the chance to stop her before she had walked out of my room, and soon the tenement building. She left her coat and phone in my room. I shouldn't of let her leave. Not after seeing that thing stand over her and those bruises on her shoulders. She wasn't safe. Not at all. I growled and scooped up her dark blue coat and grabbed her phone and stuck it into the pocket of my jeans.

I'd chase her down if I had to, but I was going to make sure she was ok. I ran down the stairs, and ignored Bertha asking me from the kitchen where I was going. I steppe out of the tenement building and into the cold night.

The streetlights illuminated her footprints in the snow, and I followed them. She couldn't of gotten very far. I sped up my pace, not quite running and not quite walking. I made out her figure under one of the streetlights, and the shadowed silhouette of another person in the darkness.

_Alice_

It wasn't enough that I had to face Shun about the bruises that were made by Damien, but now I had to face Damien once more. He was standing in front of me, out of the light of the streetlight above me. His red eyes stood out against the blackness behind him, and he looked feral and wild. I asked him, "What do you want now? Can't you leave me alone? Haven't you done enough?" I couldn't see his face in the shadows, but I knew it wore no smile at all. "I told you I was sorry. Why won't you accept my apology?"

Was he serious? He wanted me to forgive him after all the trouble he had caused me? Because of him I had to face Shun about the bruises on my shoulders. I had lied right to Shun's face cause of him. I was done with this guy. "Get out of my sight, Damien. You've done enough." I saw his blacked out figure run a hand through his hair, and I heard him sigh. "You don't get it, sweetheart. I can't leave your side." I laughed with no humor, and would of slapped him once more if my hands weren't already numb from the cold air.

"You're joking me, right? You're telling me you can't leave my side? What's your excuse for this load of crap?" He stepped closer to me, and was now in the light. I saw the red whelp on his cheek where I had slapped him. "I have to be around to save you when the time comes. That's my sole purpose now." I wasn't believing the words he was putting into my head.

I was about to unload all of my frustration on him, when Shun stepped out from the shadows. He looked ready to attack the first thing that spoke to him. "What's going on here?" His words were directed more to Damien than me, and they were tipped with poison. Damien said calmly, "I was just asking her for directions." I backed away. Shun wouldn't of fallen for Damien's lie that easily.

Shun reached to grab Damien, and everything happened so fast. Damien had Shun pinned to the ground and a small pocket knife pointed to his throat. "You know what this is made of? Angel wings. All I have to do is slice open your neck and you'll die. I don't want to kill you, but if you try and do anything to me then you'd be hurting sweetheart over there. Without me she's as good as dead, because you sure as hell aren't going to be much help when she gets into trouble soon." I stood frozen.

Damien had actually gotten Shun to the ground and had the upper hand, and Shun was afraid. Damien told Shun, "I'm going to leave now. I suggest you don't try anything when my back is turned." He slowly backed away and shot me a glance. His eyes were telling me, _"Sorry I had to do that."_ He turned and vanished into the shadows of the park behind me. I held out my hand for Shun to grab, but he swiped it away. He got to his feet and said, "I don't know what the hell is going on, and I don't think I want to."

Shun was about to walk off when I grabbed his wrist. His eyes flashed at me a warning glance if I didn't let go. "Shun, let me explain. I'm not sure what went on with him a second ago, but I can tell you everything else." Snow started to fall around us, and our breath came out in smoky wisps. His eyes narrowed at me and he said, "He's the reason you have those bruises on your shoulders. Isn't he?"

There wasn't any point in trying to lie my way around it again. I nodded my head. Shun sighed and I could see his breath. "Who is he?" Shun didn't take his eyes off of me. I felt like I was being interrogated for a crime that wasn't my fault. "His name's Damien. He's a Half-breed. Part Messenger and part human. I ran into him the night you had your dream and texted me asking if I was alright. He's the one I got the coat from." I then noticed the coat in Shun's other hand. He was clenching it, and I saw he wanted to get rid of it as much as I did when Damien brushed it off on me.

"Explain how he gave you those bruises." I let go of Shun's wrist and looked at my left shoulder. "A few days ago Damien gave me his number. I ripped it apart, but he had stuck a spare in the café where I'd find it. But within that time, I had started to figure out something was up with him. So when I found the new number, I called him up so I could ask him a few questions. When I brought up the topic of your dream, he snapped and grabbed my shoulders. He said something about Messenger angels not being able to talk about it. And that he wasn't even supposed to know about it either. After that I walked away from him, but he stopped me and…."

My voice wavered away. Shun walked closer to me and said, "And what? What did he do after you walked away?" I had no clue how Shun would react to me telling him that Damien kissed me, and how I didn't know whether I kissed back for a moment or not.

"He kissed me. I slapped him though the minute my brain registered what was happening. That's when I ran to the tenement building. He had texted me later saying he was sorry about what happened and if I'd forgive him. I didn't ever give him a reply." Shun started pacing back and forth and ran his hand through his hair. Was he angry that Damien kissed me? When it wasn't even my fault?

He stopped pacing and asked me sternly, "Why didn't you tell me this guy was harassing you like this? I could of done something to stop him! It wouldn't of gone as far as to him putting a damn knife to my throat and hurting you! Why didn't you just tell me?" His voice was soft and caring when he asked me that last question. Almost hurt in a sense. I felt a lump of guilt forming in my throat.

Guilt from not coming clean with Shun from the start. Guilt from allowing things to blow to these proportions. Saying sorry wasn't about to fix everything that had happened. Shun sighed. "I'm going to walk you back to Runo's to make sure you get there safely." I nodded my head and followed behind him without saying a word. When had things started to fall apart?

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><p>i almost hit a wall. went through like two or three ideas and it smoothed out in the end i think. new bakugan today. yay! something to watch! lol. ^^ i kept forgetting to mention this but please do check out my profile for a poll concerning an addition to the trilogy and to also check out the book cover. thanks. ^^ read, review, and other things. ~Copperpelt~<p> 


	8. Looking Down On Me

_Alice_

Shun walked me back to the café to make sure I got there safely, but we didn't exchange many words on the walk there. We stopped at the door of the café and I stuck my spare key into the door. "Thanks for walking me home, Shun." He just nodded his head. I pushed the door open and looked up in the sky. It looked like a storm was coming in. And quick at that.

I was about to ask Shun if he should be walking in this weather, but he was halfway down the street and going back to the tenement building. I sighed and walked into the café and locked the door back behind me. My feet quietly went up the stairs and I snuck into my room without waking anyone up in the building. Everything inside of the room looked the same even when everything going on around me didn't make any sense. I fell back onto my bed and grabbed my pillow and covered my face with it.

I screamed into the pillow, and put it back when I felt slightly better. I didn't want to sleep because of fear of Damien popping up in another dream, and fear of that angel standing over me again. "Troubled much, sweetheart?" I shot up from my bed and looked frantically around the room. I knew I had heard Damien, but my room was completely empty. "Calm down, sweetheart. I'm right here."

I flipped on the lamp next to my bed and I saw Damien sitting on my dresser. My heart started to race. How had he snuck into my room without me knowing? Did he sneak in before the Misaki's closed the café? Or was this a trick of my mind? He slid off of the dresser and walked to the foot of my bed. "I haven't been completely honest, sweetheart. And you of all people deserve to hear the truth."

I couldn't find any words to tell him. I wanted to scream at him to get out of my room. To get out of my life, but I couldn't bring myself to say any of it. Something inside me wanted to know what he wasn't being honest about. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and said, "Being a Messenger angel, can be something dark and shameful. My father wasn't much of an exception on that part. And being part Messenger, I didn't want any of the cons that came with the job. So I found a way to make a deal with the Higher Powers so I wouldn't have to live with being one. Now, they're testing me to see if I live up to my new job description."

I didn't take my eyes off of him as I discreetly felt for my phone that Shun had given back to me on our walk back to the café. "And what would that job description be?" My hand hit the plastic of my phone, and I grabbed it and slid it behind my back. If I had to, I'd called the police and tell them somebody broke into my room. Or I'd try and get a hold of Shun. Both wouldn't end well for Damien. His eyes held a steady gaze on me when he said, "Guardian angel." I felt my eyes widen. As he serious about being my Guardian angel? Damien laughed. "Yeah. I wasn't too thrilled when I was told that was all I could become to redeem myself from being a Messenger, so I had no choice but to accept the offer. And when I did, they assigned me to you to see if I could keep somebody safe."

My mind went back to what Damien told Shun earlier in the night. He told Shun that if something happened to him, then he'd only be hurting me, and that Shun wouldn't be able to keep me safe when I got in trouble soon. This is what Damien was talking about. He was referring to being my Guardian angel. I narrowed my eyes at him and lowered down the neck of my shirt to reveal my shoulder. "You haven't been doing a very good job of keeping me safe from yourself."

Damien sighed and went back to sitting on the dresser. He told me, "I know. I haven't quite grasped the fact that I have to keep somebody safe. But I really am trying my best, and if the Higher Powers think I'm worthy of the job then I won't be a Messenger angel. I mean, I'll still have my father's blood in me, but I won't be seen as a Messenger in the eyes of the Realm."

I didn't have anything to say about his motives to start over in his life. I was sure that any angel in the Realm or on Earth would want a chance to change their life and past if they could. I tried to change the topic by asking, "How the hell did you get in the building?" He rolled his eyes and said, "The back door. You people never lock it. I swear you're just asking to get robbed one day."

I made a mental note to tell somebody to start locking the door tomorrow. I stood up from my bed and walked over to Damien, being cautious every step. I said, "So, you're my Guardian angel? You have to keep me safe from danger, right? If I wasn't in some kind of serious trouble, the Higher Powers wouldn't of assigned you to me. What kind of danger am I in?"

I saw in his eyes that he didn't want to tell me. I was standing right in front of him, and I held a steady gaze at him. He lowered his eyes and sighed. "I don't know." I clenched my hand into a fist by my side and said harshly, "You don't know? Or you can't tell me?" Nobody said anything for a few seconds. Damien then spoke, "I really don't know. All I was told was that you were in danger and I needed to keep you safe."

I heard the honesty in his voice and nodded my head. He really didn't know what was going to happen to me, but all he knew was that he had to prevent it from happening. Damien slid off the dresser, and when he did, our bodies touched each others for a brief second. I back away from him and asked, "Does being my Guardian mean you have feelings for me cause you have to protect me or something like that?"

Damien started towards my door and turned around to look at me. He had on a sly grin and said, "Nah. I just like you cause you're likable. Simple as that. Not one of my smartest moves though to like you when you're a Bondage to Shun. That might as well be a black eye waiting to happen. Eh, oh well." He walked down the stairs and I chased after him. But he wasn't anywhere in the building. He was gone.

_Shun_

I was mentally beating myself up because I had let things get to this extent. I was too blind to see all of this happening before my very eyes. I started to wonder how damaged my Clan was now. Were they falling apart like everything else around me? A drop of water landed in front of me on the sidewalk.

I looked up to the sky, and saw more raindrops falling. I wasn't even halfway to the tenement building when the downpour started. My clothes were already soaking wet and freezing in a matter of seconds. I was running as quickly as I could to make it back to the tenement building and get out of the weather. The rain was pelting down around me just like it had when I fought Tristan the first time and he had gone back on his word and attacked my Clan anyway.

Puddles of water splashed when my foot landed down in one and soaked my pant leg. It didn't make much difference since I already looked like I jumped into a swimming pool. The rain turned the snow on the ground into a slush that wouldn't be safe to drive on in the morning. My hair was starting to fall over my eyes as it was being weighed down by the rain.

I wiped my hair from my eyes and saw the tenement building a few blocks up ahead. A sharp pain then shot through my head and I fell to the ground. Through my blurred vision I saw a pool of dark red liquid forming around me. I had been hit by something.

I tried to get up, but something hit me in my back and knocked me back down. My attacker stood over me and I saw him holding a metal pipe in his hand. I made my eyes look up to see his face, but all I saw was glowing red eyes. His face was undecipherable in the darkness and my fuzzy vision.

I felt myself being dragged down the sidewalk, and I was thrown down on what felt like concrete steps. I saw my attacker walking away and disappeared into the night. There was a sound of a door clicking open, and I heard a gasp. "Shun!" I figured the voice was Bertha's. I had been dragged back to the tenement building as a warning.

_Alice_

I had fallen asleep at some point last night, but it wasn't the best I had ever gotten. I was still tired and felt slow during the breakfast rush. The streets outside were being cleaned of the slush made my last night's rain. I didn't know if Shun had gotten caught up in it or not. I was trying to figure a way to tell him what Damien told me last night. I shook my head.

It might have been for the best if I didn't tell Shun at all. But that's what had gotten me in this same mess, right? Not telling Shun had gotten me hurt and a knife to his throat. My phone rang in my pocket, and I saw I had gotten a text from Ebony's number. _Alice! You need to hurry to the tenement building! Now! Shun's been attacked!_ The phone slipped from my hand and I felt my heart stop. The world around me ceased to move. Shun had been attacked. I scrambled to get my phone back into my pocket with my shaking hands and I quickly put my jacket on and ran for the door.

I almost slipped on the tile floor, but caught myself. Runo yelled out to me, "Alice, where are you going?" I stopped with my hands on the door and told her, "I have to get to Shun." I didn't give her an explanation before I was flying down the sidewalk towards the tenement building. I ran up the concrete steps and made it to the building in record timing. I swung open the door and ran into the kitchen to find somebody to tell me what was going on.

All of the Clan members that were staying in the building at the time, were sitting in the kitchen. They all looked at me, showing that they weren't expecting me to get there so quickly. "What happened? Where's Shun?" Bertha stood up from the table and took my elbow and walked me into another room.

She sat me down on a couch and said, "Calm down, Alice. Last night we heard a knocking at the door and I found Shun laying on the stairs unconscious. He had been hit in the head with something and was bleeding. I got the others to help me get him inside and I started on dressing the wounds. He's upstairs right now resting. He should heal up soon and be fine." My stomach was doing flips with the thought that Shun had been attacked like that. I asked, "Do any of you have any idea who might of done it?" She shook her head.

"Can I go upstairs and see him?" Bertha said to me, "You can go on ahead. I think he's still sleeping though." I nodded my head and went up the stairs and into Shun's room. He was sleeping in his bed, and when I got closer I saw the bandage wrapped around his forehead and went around.

Bertha had made it go under his bangs and hair somehow. There was a thin cut on his face that he probably got when he fell. A stab of guilt hit me. This felt like my fault for some reason. If I hadn't of kept Damien a secret, then I wouldn't of gotten the bruises that Shun discovered and he wouldn't of chased after me that night and had to walk back after making sure I got home safe and sound.

This was my fault. Shun's eyes opened slowly, but only halfway. "Shun….I'm sorry." I saw his clothes still looked damp from the rain the night before. So he had gotten caught up in the storm. "It's not your fault this happened." How could he say that? Everything that happened kept coming back to me. He sat up, and I tried to make him lay back down. "Shun, you need to stay and rest."

He reluctantly laid back down and closed his eyes and sighed. "I know you think this is your fault, but it's not and I'm not blaming you for it." He could tell me that all he wanted, but it was still my carelessness that got him hurt. I thought I could handle a fire like Damien and not get burned, but I was wrong and ended up setting fire to more than just myself. I decided then that I needed to tell Shun about what happened in my room last night.

"Shun, Damien found me after you dropped me off at Runo's." His eyes opened back up and I saw he was shocked. "What did he do to you this time?" There was a faint hiss in his voice, but it was covered by his concern.

"Nothing. He told me something though. He told me he was assigned by the Higher Powers as my Guardian angel to keep me safe so he can erase his Messenger angel background." Shun didn't have anything to say about that. He shut his eyes back and I saw he was starting to drift back off to sleep. I sighed and walked back down the stairs.

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><p>sigh. the wonderful break is almost over. :'( now i'll have to go back to waiting till i get out of school to upload new chapters. sad face. oh well. i was getting bored staying at home all the time anyway. i missed my band mates and my bari sax. and we have our x-mas parade monday as well. we get to march in the cold air and play the same song over and over again. yay! -.-'' what a shame i love it. if you havent checked my profile for the poll asking about the addition to the trilogy called <em>The<em> _Puppetmaster_ then please do so and check out the cover for the story if you havent. thanks. ^^ read, review, and other things. ~Copperpelt~


	9. Family Ties

_Shun_

_He_ was her Guardian angel? _Him?_ If anything he had done more damage than protecting. Had things gotten so bad down here that the Higher Powers really assigned him to Alice to keep her safe? I clenched the sheets under me and turned my head to look out of the window.

It was still daylight outside. Probably not even past noon. Alice was most likely still downstairs. I knew her all too well to know that she wouldn't leave until she was a hundred percent sure that I would be ok. I forced myself to sit up. On my back where I had been hit, stung with phantom pains. Although I was told nothing was broken on my back, it still hurt. My head felt fine though.

It felt just like I had a headache. A horrible headache that wouldn't go away with no matter how many pain killers were in your system. I bit through the pain of both, and slid out of my bed. It took me a moment to find my center of balance, and when I was sure of where it was, I moved towards my door. Going down the stairs was easier than I planned, and I was on the main floor before I knew it. My eyes scanned around the main entrance for any of my Clan mates, Bertha, or Alice.

A loud crash sounded from towards the kitchen, and I heard Bertha swear. _Found them._ I walked into the kitchen and saw everyone gathered around the kitchen table; Thatch, Adam, Ebony, and Alice. _I guess Len went home._ Bertha was bent over and picking up a pot that she dropped. She caught me from the corner of her eye, and she stood up with the pot in her hands.

The others say me after that, and Alice was the first to say, "Shun, you should still be resting." Bertha placed her hand on Alice's shoulder and smiled down at her. "I think Shun's feeling well enough if he can walk. You have to remember that they heal quickly."

I shrugged my shoulders as if saying, _"Eh. What can I do about it?" _Bertha walked over to me and turned me around. She had my back facing her as she checked my injuries. "Everything seems to be healed up pretty well. I think the bandages can come off now." _Good. I hate these things._ I turned back around and saw her fumbling her hand in a kitchen drawer. Bertha then lifted up a pair of scissors and snapped them in the air a few times.

I put my hands up and shook my head, "Uh, you aren't coming anywhere near my hair with those things. Much less my head." She smiled and told me, "Quit freaking out, Shun. You know all that's going to get cut is the bandages." That was true, but I still didn't like the idea of an elderly woman near my head with sharp objects. No matter how good they were with them.

She lifted up some of my hair to get to the bandages around my head, and I heard the scissors cutting through them. I saw her walking towards the trashcan and toss them away. I ran my fingers through my hair to straighten everything back out that was messed up by the bandages. Alice then stood up from the table and walked in my direction. She was standing right in front of me, then wrapped her arms around my body.

She accidentally hit the sore spot on my back, and I bit back a yelp. I wrapped my arms around her and heard her whisper to me, "I'm glad you're ok." I knew she still felt like what happened to me was her fault. It wasn't though. No matter what she said or thought to convince herself it was. It wasn't anyone's fault except the guy who attacked me last night.

I still wished I knew who did it. Alice and I both let go of each other at the same time, and I turned and looked at Adam. He was about to take a bite from a sandwich he had fixed when I said, "Who is this guy you know that can give me some information?" He was only a few inches from the sandwich, and he sighed and put it down. "His name's Robert, but he goes by Specks cause of his glasses. Yeah. Original, I know. But he has access to any know piece of information from both Earth and the Realm. And he's killer for making fake ID's and such."

Now I knew how Adam got all of his alcohol when he was underage to drink. I rolled my eyes and said, "Well, I'm going to have to get some information from him. Could you call him up or something?" Adam nodded his head and walked into another room. He soon returned holding Ebony's laptop.

She said to him, "Hey! That's mine! What the hell is your drunk ass doing with it!" Adam rolled his eyes and opened up the laptop and hacked her password. He told her, "Oh shut it. You don't even use this thing anyway. And also, change your password to something more challenging that your name." Ebony folded her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes. Adam sat down at the table and me and Alice walked over and stood behind. He went to the laptop's webcam connection and typed in "Specks" into the name search bar.

It came up with unknown information, and only the name. Adam hit the call choice on the name, and there was a ringing noise coming from the laptop as the connection was being set up. The screen came on with a dirty blonde haired and brown eyed Fallen wearing glasses on it. In the corner of the screen, was a smaller box showing all of us in it. The guy pushed his glasses up and said, "What can I do ya for this time, Adam? Whoa. Dude, are you sober?"

Adam laughed and said, "I actually am for the time being. I'd like to cash in that favor you owe me for my Clan leader. He has something he needs to know and only you can dig it up." The light from the computer lit up Speck's glasses, but when they moved the slightest bit you could see his eyes. Adam moved over and waved to the computer and said, "It's all yours. Take it away boss."

I rolled my eyes and looked at the screen. I said, "Ok. I need you to tell me something about this angel I keep seeing. First it was in a dream, then it was standing over my Bondage that's right next to me. I've tried to get information from the Messenger angel in the city, Kiba, but he wouldn't tell me anything. And my Bondage found a Half-breed with Messenger angel blood in him and even he wouldn't tell her anything either. I just want to know what that dream meant and what that angel is and its roll in all of this." Specks pushed up his glasses and said, "Can I get a description of the angel and the dream?"

I nodded my head and told him all of the details as they were. From the eyes to the wings. Specks pushed his glasses up and started typing on the keyboard in front of him. I saw hundreds of windows popping up on the screen through his glasses as he searched his data base for something on my dream. Window after window popped up and his eyes scanned over them quickly before moving onto another. "Ha! Found something! Does this look like the angel you've been seeing?"

He pressed a button and a picture popped up on the screen. I felt myself freeze up. It was the angel exactly as I remembered seeing in my dream. "Y-Yeah. That's him." The picture vanished and I was back looking at Specks. He grinned and said, "I never cease to amaze myself." I saw Adam roll his eyes and mouth something like, _"Show off."_

Alice leaned in closer to the computer and her arm brushed mine. She asked him, "Ok. Well we have a definite image. Now tell us what the hell that thing is and why won't it leave Shun alone?" Specks nodded his head and typed on the keyboard once more.

"Ok. It's called an Angel of Omen. They were supposedly the first species of angel, but became tainted when the world was falling more and more into darkness. There were seven angels that refused to watch their brothers and sisters turn into these monsters, and banished them into the Earth. Like literally, _into_ the Earth to imprison them and keep them from causing anymore trouble. Those seven angels soon became known as the Seven Lords because they saved the Realm from the Angels of Omen. They started to watch over the angels that were left in the Realm, and at this point, the world was coming out of its dark era. The Lords ruled over the Realm for many years, and even had their own families. Now, their descendents are known as the Higher Powers."

Specks scratched his head and stared into the screen. He said, "That's kind of weird if they all had children, then why are there only six in the Higher Powers?" Alice was right next to me now and looking into the screen with narrowed eyes. "We just want to know what this Angel of Omen wants with us." Specks shrugged his shoulders and scrolled down on his screen.

He placed his chin into the palm of his hand and said, "All I can find on them is that they can invade dreams and hallucinations referring to something in the future. But all of them are locked away in the Earth and are unable to get out. Although, if you can find them and wish to become one, you have the ability to walk around on Earth as one. But you have to have some seriously bad demons inside your head for them to take you. That's all its giving me. It doesn't say anything about what it means when one is after somebody. Sorry. Anything else you want to know?"

Alice told him no, the same time I said yes. Specks raised an eyebrow and looked interested in what I wanted to know. "Tell me more about the Seven Lords." He nodded and continued searching. Alice looked at me and whispered to me, "What are you doing? We got what we wanted to know. Well, at least some of it."

I told her I knew what I was doing. Specks popped up another picture on our computer screen. It was a painting of a female angel with long, wavy blonde hair and stunning blue eyes. Unlike the eyes of Fallens, the pupils were normal and round like a humans. She wore a long white dress and had a hand outstretched as his shooing something away.

Specks told us, "This was Lady Andrea. She was one of the Seven Lords that helped banish the Angels of Omen. Her great-great granddaughter is now in the seat of the Higher Powers. I'm sure most of you know her as Angelia." I heard Ebony behind me say something about how beautiful she was. And she was something to marvel. Most Holy Angels were stunningly beautiful. And although many Fallens have been called attractive, in the eyes of the Holy Angels and Realm, our eyes are what separate us from them.

The picture vanished and a new one appeared of a male angel. He wore a white robe, and had orange tinted hair that was a little bit lighter than Alice's. His eyes seemed to be green. "This is Lord Rem. His third generation descendent is the Higher Power known as Alexander." We went through four more of the Seven Lords. Lady Isabel and her third generation grandson, Isaac. Lord Dante and his grandson Dalton in the Higher Powers.

The fifth Specks told us about was Lord Zaire and his granddaughter in the Higher Powers, Zimry. Next, he told us about Lady Dianne and her granddaughter Destiny. Specks then said, "That's all of the Lords that had children that are now in the Higher Powers and ruling the Realm. I have records of Lord Michael having children, but I don't have their names or anything. I may have to dig a little deeper for that, but he's the only one with no descendents in the Higher Powers."

All of us were silent as he searched more into his data base for the descendents of this Lord. Specks then said, "I found a picture of him." The photo popped up, and everyone was silent. Alice said next to me, "He looks like you, Shun." I had to agree with her. There was a major resemblance between us. The picture vanished and Specks looked at it on his screen, then back at me.

"You do look like him." I bit my lip. I didn't have any memory of any of my family. I didn't even remember what my parents looked like because they were killed when I was so young. Could it be possible that I was his descendent? It could be. There wasn't much way to know since angels didn't have last names, and unless you Fell then you have to make up one to fit in with the people on Earth. Specks told us, "I can't find anything on his descendents. Nothing. It's like they were erased from the history texts. But why?" If we were related in anyway, why did the proof get erased?

What happened that made us inexistent? I told Specks, "Well, if you find something just call us back. Thanks for your time." He nodded his head and cut the call connection. I sighed, and saw the time on the corner of the laptop's main screen. It was closing in on six at night. I stood up straight and stretched my body. Alice whispered to me, "Do you really think he might be one of your ancestors? Or do you think it's just coincidence that you look alike?"

I shook my head and told her, "I don't know." How come it seemed like whenever I went hunting for answers, I was left with more questions? Alice whispered to me again, "You know, if you are related to one of the Seven Lords, that could make you a target if one of those Angels of Omen ever get loose and are looking to get revenge."

I hadn't even thought about that. Was that why I was seeing them in my dreams? Were they coming after me to get payback for something a possible ancestor did to them? I sat back down at the table and ran my hand through my hair. Things only seemed to keep getting more hard to see every day.

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><p>lucky me i did this yesterday. ^^ so now i can upload before i go and freeze in the x-mas parade! yay! this is one of them chapters that leads to something further down the road. so nobody think i'm getting off track. it's all part of my master plan. ;) well, i'm in a very dorky marching band uniform at the moment and it is very hard to type so ima go now. read, review, and other things. ~Copperpelt~<p> 


	10. Uncovering The Past

_Shun_

I went up on the roof after everyone had fallen asleep. Alice had decided to stay here and cleared it up with Runo. I was sitting on the brick edge of the roof, and looking out over the city at night. Thatch had finally gotten up here at some point and cleared the snow off the roof so it wouldn't cave in.

I sighed, and saw my breath rise in a wispy cloud. The cold air nipped at my bare arms and made me let out a small shiver. The wind wasn't strong, but the cold temperature was enough to make it seem below zero. The thought of Specks telling me that he couldn't find anything on Lord Michael's children, came back to my mind. When he showed us a picture of him, everyone agreed that we looked alike. And with his missing descendents gone from all the history texts, it only made it seem more likely that he was related to me.

I wanted to know more about my family and its past, but getting that information wasn't going to be easy. For one, Specks couldn't find anything on my family or any of Lord Michael's descendents. And two, I wasn't about to go to Kiba. I looked down below me on the sidewalk and saw a dog trotting down the street. It took off when it looked down an alley, letting out and yelp as it ran.

I leaned forward, trying to see what startled the animal. Odds were it was probably a larger dog or maybe a cat that scared him off. I saw a shadowy figure step into the light, and took in a quick breath. Mason was standing there. I hadn't seen Mason in nearly over a week, and something seemed different about him. I got lower behind the brick edge in case he saw me, but peered over it just enough to see him. Mason turned and looked around the streets, as if he were being followed or searching for anyone who might see him.

The way he walked looked as if he had done something that was worth acting suspicious. Instead of walking towards the tenement building like I expecting him to, he started the other way. I wanted to follow him. See where he was going and what he was up to. If I knew whether or not my wing was fully healed, and didn't have the gall to try and find out that very minute. It probably was, but I didn't want to reveal myself by falling to the sidewalk.

I made a mental note to see in the morning how my wing had been holding up. With all of the crazy things happening, it had completely slipped my mind in all honesty. Mason stopped walking, and was still just in my field of vision. He turned around and looked down the sidewalk, and I suppressed a gasp and ducked down below the brick edge. His eyes were the glowing red from the Angel of Omen that kept invading my dreams.

I felt my body shivering from not only the cold, but the sheer shock. Was my mind just tricking me? Were Mason's eyes really red, or was the streetlight reflecting from them? I slowly peered over the edge again, and saw Mason shrug his shoulders and walk off out of my sight. I no longer had the urge to follow him now as fear gripped me that he could be the creature tormenting me and Alice in my dreams.

I stood up and stared at where Mason was standing. The memory of Specks telling me that Angels of Omen couldn't leave the earth, but if somebody found them they could become one themselves. But they had to have some serious darkness in their hearts and mind. Had Mason found them and asked to become one? When I thought about it, all of the dreams and everything else started happening after our argument and about the time he went missing. No longer feeling very secure on the roof and in the wide open, and jumped back down the hatch and locked it shut. The main heater must have been off a few minutes, because the hall and main rooms felt cool.

The heater would end up turning on again soon, so there was no point in flipping it back on again. I walked my way to my room, and opened the door to check in on Alice. The memory of that thing standing over her had returned to my mind after seeing Mason's eyes. She was sound asleep and still on the side of the bed I had left her in when I snuck up to the roof. And there were no intruders in the room with her. Sighing, I shut the door quietly and walked down the stairs.

I was unable to sleep now, and spending an hour or so of going through the building to tire myself out would be the best remedy for my insomnia. A faint ringing sounded from the kitchen, and I recognized it as the calling tone on Ebony's laptop. I found it sitting on the table, and saw it had Specks as the caller. I reached over and flipped the lights on to the kitchen and hit the call accept button. He was sipping on a milkshake and reading a newspaper when he saw somebody had taken his call. He took the straw from his mouth and folded up the paper. "Oh, sorry. I really wasn't expecting anyone to pick up being this late at night. But it's a good thing it was you cause you're the one I needed to speak to."

I pulled the chair out from under the table and sat down. "I'm listening." My first thought was that he found more on Lord Michael's descendents or something along that line. Specks took another drink from the milkshake and I wondered how he could tolerate something cold like that in this weather when he was just a city over. He wiped his mouth on his shirt sleeve and said, "After countless hours of searching, I may of found something of use. You've heard at least something of the rebellion, right?" I nodded my head and said, "Yeah. It's the reason I'm down here on Earth and my parents are dead."

It stung me inside every time somebody brought up that rebellion. I couldn't blame my parents for fighting for something they believed in, whatever it may have been. I had no knowledge of the reason for the rebellion other than a small group of Holy angels went up against the Higher Powers. Specks pushed up his glasses and said, "Yeah, sorry about that. But anyway, I found records of what happened that day. It turns out that the rebellion was led by the second generation descendent of Lord Michael."

I raised an eyebrow and said, "Who was it?" Maybe if he had found a name, then it could clear some of my jumbled thoughts up. Specks fixed his glasses again. "I don't have a definite name sadly, but I do know what they were fighting for. The Higher Powers had gotten so out of control with making angels Fall for simple matters, that he got tired of it all. This was when the second generation of the Seven Lords were in power. He knew he was a descendent of Lord Michael, and decided to follow in the same steps as he and the Seven Lords had in keeping order straight in the Realm. He should have been in the Higher Powers at the time, but never joined them because of his disagreement with their views."

"The rebellion was staged, but backfired horribly. All of the angels that were caught were killed for their betrayal to the Higher Powers. The descendent ran with his wife and child, but were caught and they were all locked away to wait their execution day. But he had an ally among the executioner, and asked him for one favor before they were killed; that they found a way to let their child live." I watched as Specks scrolled down on his mouse and continued to speak. "The executioner convinced the Higher Powers of sparing the child's life, but it wasn't easy for him."

"One of the Higher Powers, the descendent of Lord Zaire, told him, _"We can't allow a betrayer's child to live. Especially one that might try and pull this same stunt in the future."_ The executioner pleaded to them, _"But he is of the same background as yours. Would you kill one of your own? He had no roll in the rebellion and is innocent, but you are going to kill him anyway? The great-great grandson of Lord Michael? Is this how you want the Realm to see you as? As murderers?"_ The Higher Powers sat and thought about what actions to take. The executioner had a point. It would go against the laws they set up to kill a descendent of one of the Seven Lords. They would be hypocrites and may of caused another rebellion if they did so."

Specks paused for a moment and I asked, "Well, if they couldn't kill a descendent, then why did they kill the leader of the rebellion?" I was growing angry. If the leader of the rebellion was indeed my father, then he shouldn't of been killed. They should of spared him. "The leader asked to be killed. That automatically removed the whole fact of his background. But since the child was in a sense innocent, of the same background, and had no ability to say whether he wanted to live or die, the Higher Powers came to the decision to make him Fall." I felt my stomach drop, and tears start to pool in my eyes. I blinked them back, refusing to allow any to escape.

Specks then kept on and said, "They did that so the child would be able to live, and never return to the Realm to cause another rebellion because since he Fell on innocence, he couldn't do anything to redeem himself. And it didn't matter if he had any children, because they would be Half-breeds and unable to go to the Realm." It was me. I was the third generation to Lord Michael and all records of that had been exterminated. The Higher Powers had thought everything through on me, to where I couldn't get my second chance.

The story I had known for so long was only half right. I was right about Falling because my parents had something to do with the rebellion, and that I Fell on innocence. Now I knew everything, and for the first time I was angry with the Realm and the Higher Powers. I had never had any ill feeling towards them, but now that I knew everything on my past, I did. They uprooted my life, and would of killed me if I didn't share a background with one of the Seven Lords. Specks brought me out of my thoughts when he said, "That's all I had to say." I ran my hand through my hair and said, "You knew it was about me. Didn't you?"

Specks did a half smile with a sympathetic hint behind it. "I just thought it would be something of use to you that you should know." I nodded my head and cut the connection. My mind couldn't figure out if I had gotten lucky because I was still alive, or unlucky for that same reason. It seemed like a mix of the two. I was happy that I hadn't been killed, but I was also angry that this had to be my fate when I didn't deserve it. No matter what I did, I would never be able to go back to the Realm.

The Higher Powers had made sure of that. I said under my breath, "All of these years of trying to redeem myself….All for nothing….." I slammed the laptop screen shut and stood up from the table. A glass that was left from last night rattled when I did. When it stopped, I saw my distorted reflection in the glass. In the glass I saw a tear roll down my cheek, and I slapped it off of the table.

It hit the wall and shattered. Shimmering pieces of glass fell to the floor, and I looked at the back of my hand. Shards had stuck in me from where the glass shattered when my hand hit it. I walked over to the sink and turned the water on. I stuck my hand under the water and washed away the shards that were stuck in me and also washed away the blood. The wound would heal in no time though. I turned off the water and grabbed a paper towel and pressed it to my hand.

Before walking away from the sink, I looked out of the window above it. The sky was brightening up with coming dawn, but I wasn't looked up at that. I was looking at the barrier. I wondered how long the second generation Higher Powers sat up there and watched down on me as I floundered to redeem myself when they knew it was pointless. I started to think that if I was still up there, then I wouldn't of ever planned another rebellion. Even if it was to avenge my parent's death.

But if I ever had the opportunity to go up there now, I'd plan another rebellion to get back at them. And I would try everything in my power to not fail if I did. My whole look on the Higher Powers were different now. When I used to not blame them for what happened to me, I did now. I let out a shaky sigh and walked over to the broken glass. Bertha would kill me when she found out one her glasses were shattered. I reached under a cabinet and grabbed the hand broom and dust pan and started to clean it up.

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><p>hmmmmm. had to think on this one to make it all try and fit together and i almost lost my train of thought. o.o but i think it turned out fairly ok. again, still part of the master plan. -randomly sings pokemon theme- o.o i dont know where that came from. lol. omg. i nearly froze to death at the parade yesterday. good thing i wrote the day before because if i tried to write with my frozen fingers then it would of been impossible. o.o lol. well, i keep forgetting this but if you havent checked out the cover or poll for the addition story <em>The Puppetmaster<em>, then please do so. thanks. read, review, and other things. ~Copperpelt~


	11. Chilling Winds

_Alice_

When I woke that morning, the spot where Shun usually slept was empty. My body sat up and I let out a much needed yawn. _He probably just woke up early. _I remembered him falling asleep next to me last night, but didn't know when he got up. I felt his spot was cold, and hadn't been slept in for hours. I tossed the covers off of me, and climbed out of the bed. When I walked out of the room, I stopped in the bathroom near the stairs and turned the sink on.

I let the water get somewhere between cool and warm, and splashed it on my face to wash away yesterday's events. A lock of my hair fell into the water and turned dark. I quickly gathered it back up and found a ponytail holder laying next to the faucet. I tied my hair up and continued to wash my face. The water felt good, and it woke up what little of my mind was still asleep.

Now that I was fully alert, I made my way down the stairs. The heater just kicked on, and the humming of the air-conditioner units sounded through the quiet building. The main entrance was empty, as was the kitchen. Bertha wasn't even up yet. I checked in the living room and found Shun sleeping on the couch that Bertha had sat me down on when she tried to calm me down after I received the news that Shun had been attacked.

He was laying on his side, and his back pressed against the back of the couch. I figured he may have been cold, and went hunting down the closet that contained all of the blankets and sheets. It was down another hall, and I found a warm quilt with a blue and purple pattern sewn into it.

Seeing the two colors made me think of Damien's blue coat and him telling me that blue looked better on my than purple did. I hadn't seen or heard any from Damien in several days. Not since around the time Shun had been attacked. I really doubted Damien was the culprit behind Shun's attack, but I still found it kind of suspicious. I shook away my thoughts and walked back into the living room and unfolded the blanket and draped it over Shun and the couch. He didn't even seem to notice, and I walked into the kitchen to find me something to drink. My bare foot felt something poke it underneath, and I pulled back before it could stick into my skin.

There was a tiny shard of glass on the floor. I bent over and carefully picked it up and tossed it into the trash, where I saw the rest of the broke object to go along with it. It seemed to be a water glass by the thickness of the shards. I shrugged my shoulders and didn't think much of it. Accidents happened, right? I reached into the cabinets and pulled down a green plastic cup and went over to the fridge.

I used to ice and water dispenser and filled my cup up and sat down at the table. Sweat from the sides of the cup dripped onto the wood table, and I got up to hunt down a paper towel to wipe it up before a watermark was left. A roll was hanging from under the cabinets, and I tore off a sheet. The paper towel absorbed the water from the table, and I sat the cup down on top of it so the rest of the sweat would be soaked up as it formed.

I could smell the faint scent of coffee that had been brewed the day before, and knew a fresh pot would be made soon as the others began to wake. On the windowsill, snow started to pile up outside, and frost covered the glass and branched out like fiberglass. I couldn't see if snow was falling or not because of the frosted window. Next to me was Ebony's laptop, right where it had been left last night after contacting Specks.

Thanks to him, we had a name to that thing that had been harassing Shun and partially me. An Angel of Omen. Even the name itself sounded terrifying and sent a shiver down my back. I didn't want to know what he had in store for me and Shun, but I did hope that we could find a way to stop him. Perhaps this is the reason the Higher Powers assigned me to Damien as his first person to protect as a Guardian angel in-training.

I still didn't feel to firm about Damien protecting me, much less against something as threatening as an Angel of Omen. The front door to the building opened, and Bertha stood in the doorway and stomped her shoes on the mat to knock the snow off. She held some envelops in her hands, along with a newspaper. I told her, "Morning, Bertha. Run some morning errands?" I motioned to the contents in her hands with my eyes. She smiled and placed the letters and paper on the table in front of me.

As she slid out of her coat, she shivered as her body adjusted to the heat in the building. She said to me, "Yeah. I haven't had a chance to check the mail lately, and while I was I decided to pick up a newspaper. Everyone in this building has some part in there that they like." I couldn't see Adam spending his time reading anything other than the comics. The thought of Adam reading was almost hard enough to picture on its own. I turned the paper around and read the headline. It was talking about the drastic decrease in crime and death the past two and a half months. _Yeah, cause the Clans have stopped fighting and killing each other._

But that was something that the news media wouldn't ever know. They played it off as the police force finally running them all off and that the "gangs" killed enough of the others members to put a dent in their numbers. I shook my head and returned the paper back to the way it was facing when Bertha put it on the table. She had her hip leaning against the table and was going through the mail.

Bertha walked over to the trashcan and tossed the papers away. I looked at her with a quizzical look and she told me, "It was all junk mail." She started to walk away from the trashcan, but stopped and looked back down into it. She moved around the papers and stared. I knew she had found the broken glass. Bertha looked around and said loudly, "Who broke one of my good glasses!"

_Shun_

There was a warmth hanging over me, and I opened my still tired eyes and say a quilt draped over my body and the couch. I couldn't help but smile slightly. _Alice. It had to of been her._ When I had calmed down last night after my talk with Specks, I didn't feel like taking the risk and waking up Alice, and just crashed on the couch. Which wasn't one of the smartest moves I had pulled, since the springs in the cushions pressed into my body and was very uncomfortable. My smile faded when I heard Bertha say something about the broken glass.

_Looks like she found it._ Alice's voice was the next I heard, and she was trying to explain to Bertha that it was probably an accident and that at least they cleaned it up instead of leaving it on the floor. I sighed and covered my head up with the quilt. I was still tired from last night and not getting a full amount of sleep to make my body function to its full extent.

But I was at that point that even though I was tired, I wouldn't be able to fall back into a decent sleep. I was up for good now. I sat up on the couch, and the blanket wrapped around my legs when I did so. A yawn escaped me, and my eyes watered up from it. I looked down at the clothes I had on from yesterday. The white shirt was wrinkled and looked ratty now that I had slept in it. And I was still in my black jeans, and I decided they were clean enough to stay.

I walked up the stairs and shucked off the shirt, and found a dark green long sleeve thermal. I checked my hair in the hall bathroom's mirror. My black hair showed clear signs that I had a crappy sleep. I dug around in the drawer under the sink and found a comb and combed the stray hairs and knots away. Now that I looked semi-decent and like I hadn't just slept in a box, I walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. Alice was sitting at the table as I expected, Bertha was washing dishes at the sink, and Thatch was laying on his back on the counter behind Alice and reading a section from a newspaper.

As usual, it was the business section. Thatch never seemed like the type, but he was highly informed in economics. It was something he studied during his free time. He could tell you when it would be a good or bad day for certain businesses, and when the stocks were doing ok. None of us paid him any mind when he spoke about that kind of stuff since none of us really knew what he was talking about. We all just nodded our heads and went on with our daily lives.

I still wondered how Thatch fit under the cabinets above him and had enough room on the counter to where he didn't fall off. Heck, he wasn't much bigger than me, and I couldn't stay up there even if I wanted to. Most of us had learned not to question how Thatch worked thought, and kept the pondering questions to ourselves. Bertha didn't turn from the sink when she said, "Shun, do you know anything about the broken glass in the trashcan?" _I knew I should of thrown it away outside._

It would have been pointless though since she would of noticed the missing glass from the cabinets. I took a seat next to Alice and said, "Sorry about that. I woke up last night and got something to drink and it slipped from my hands." I saw her shake her head and dry a plate off with a towel. "Well, thanks for at least cleaning it up." Alice winked at me, and I knew she had convinced Bertha, who was inconvincible, to change her mind. I smiled at her.

It had seemed like a wall had started to form between the two of us with everything that had been going on, but today that wall felt almost inexistent. I reached under the table and found her hand and took it in mine. A faint blush went across her face. For the first time I felt like all of the weight that had been put on my shoulders recently was lighter.

Certain things drifted through my mind though; like what the Higher Powers had done to me, what that Angel of Omen wanted, and what was up with Mason's eyes last night. All of that was still there, but just not as loud as they had been. It amazed me how easily Alice being next to me could free my troubled mind, when she didn't even realize she was. Ebony walked into the kitchen, and her face lit up when she saw the newspaper on the table. "Awesome! What kind of sales-papers do we have today?"

That was Ebony's section that everybody left alone. If she found that something had been taken out and she didn't get to see what they had on sale, then you'd better hope that you weren't found with it. Ebony flipped through the papers and pulled out what she wanted to look through. She looked around and asked, "Where's Adam?" Thatch was still on the counter and turned a page when he said, "Upstairs and passed out. And I foresee a hangover in the near future."

Ebony rolled her eyes and said, "Well, if he isn't going to take the crosswords then I am. Everybody knows that he can't do them when he's drunk." Alice seemed surprised. She leaned over near me and said, "Adam does the crosswords?" I laughed and told her, "Yeah. Most people are shocked to hear that too. What did you expect him to read? The comics?" Alice looked around and nodded her head slowly. I laughed again and she backhanded my arm playfully. She then asked, "Who gets the comics then?"

I directed her with my eyes to Bertha, who was finishing up the last of the dishes. "Really? She seems like her and Adam would be switched around. You know, Bertha do the crosswords and Adam read the comics." I smiled at her and said, "There's more to some of us than you think." _And I just found that out about myself._ Ebony was folding the crosswords and grabbed a pen from one of the drawers and sat back down. She was terrible at them, but if she did them then that meant that Adam could.

I never understood why those two were so competitive with each other. Alice asked me, "What part do you read?" I shrugged my shoulders and said, "I don't really read any part. I just kind of scan." She nodded her head. I realized I still had her hand in mine, but it didn't bother me and didn't seem to bother her either.

There was a loud wailing outside, and the sky started to turn dark and almost black. The windows then shattered and sent in a rush of cold air. I jumped and shielded Alice from the glass flying into the room. Thatch was doing the same with Bertha with his wings.

I took his idea and unfolded my own. I wrapped my wings around her body and felt shards of glass leaving thin cuts into my back. The wind died down, and we all turned around and saw a large gaping hole in the window and wall, and Mason was standing in the center of the kitchen with the sky black as night behind him.

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><p>omg i am starving. 0.0 i dont know if there will be an upload friday and saturday since i might be going to a bonfire. not sure. well, i have stuff to do. so read, review, and other things. ~Copperpelt~<p> 


	12. You Are My Hope

_Shun_

I felt as if my breath was being sucked from my lungs every time I breathed out. I felt Alice shaking in my arms, and I saw my own hands shaking slightly. In order to hide that he had scared me, I clenched my hands into fists and kept them tightly by my sides. I glanced over at Thatch, Ebony, and Bertha.

My two Clan mates were shaking as well, and it seemed as if only Bertha was the only one holding herself together at the sight of Mason. But I still saw she was scared like us. Mason grinned and paced back and forth in front of us. "What? I've been gone for over a week and I don't at least get a decent hello?" His eyes flashed red. _So it wasn't the lights reflecting off of them._

There was a running down the stairs, and Adam skidded to a halt when he saw Mason. He was probably coming down there to tell us to keep quiet while he tried to sleep. Adam backed away slowly, not taking his eyes from Mason. "I thought you'd all be happy to see your old Clan mate." There was a touch of sarcasm in his voice. His eyes went from Adam, to me, and lastly Alice. A devious smile slapped across his face and he practically purred, "Alice. You're looking as lovely as ever."

She moved backed away from him and moved closer behind me for protection. I asked him, "Where have you been, Mason?" I tried to keep my voice from wavering, but it was pointless. The sound of fear was implanted in my voice as long as Mason was standing there. And it would probably stay even after he left. If he ever did. He put up and hand and said, "Just around the town. Seeing some of the sites. You know I've been here for years and never went to visit any attractions."

He was toying with me. Trying to make me seem like a fool, and was succeeding at it. He had me right where he wanted me. Mason shot a look at me with those red eyes and said calmly, "Any of this coming back to you, Shun?" What? Did he expect me to know this was going to happen? As if he had told me? Mason's eyes narrowed at me, and his voice became harsh and stern.

"What has been plaguing you all this time? Huh? Do I have to spell this out to you?" I backed up a little, and bumped into Alice behind me. There wasn't much room to get away from him in the kitchen, and I was sure that he'd easily catch me if I tried to run. Or he might of gone to the next level and hurt Alice or somebody else in the room. As I thought about him asking if anything was coming back to me, an image popped into my mind.

I was back on the dark street, and watching an Angel of Omen attacking Alice. But this time, he turned around, and I saw its face. I came back to my senses, and stared at Mason. "It's you. It's been you this whole time." He flashed a smile of victory and tilted his head up slightly as if to signify he was superior. Mason unfolded his black wings, and I watched as the feathers fell to the floor and revealed the wings that belong to an Angel of Omen. All this time it had been him. But why?

The wings he had now, looked sinister in their own way. Nothing with any good in their heart would have something like them. My body tensed up as I was slowly going into fight mode. The only thing fueling my will to face him, was all of the pain and aggravation he had caused me in both my dreams and reality. I said over to Thatch, "Get Bertha, Adam, Ebony, and Alice out of here. Got it?"

I caught him out of the corner of my eye and they filed out of the kitchen. It was just me and my second in command. Nothing was said, and the only sound was the water dripping from the faucet. I broke the quiet and said, "Why? Why did you become one of those things?" Mason had found the imprisoned Angels of Omen, and they apparently thought he was good enough to join their club. Mason moved his wings, and I heard them crack as they moved. I cringed at the sound.

"I got tired of this. Being a Fallen, and being in your shadow. I did just as much work, and even more, and never got the credit I deserved. And most of all. I got tired of you. You, of all Fallens, get the responsibility of keeping a Clan safe when you can't even keep them in line." I was lost for my words. Fear set in on me if I said anything to him. I had backed into the counter that Thatch was laying on not an hour ago, when everything was still together for me. Mason continued.

"I had heard of the Angels of Omen for some time, but never could figure out where to find them at. After going from Messenger angel to Messenger angel, I was left with Kiba. He told me everything. And after that it was just a short walk to where we are today." Why had Kiba given him the information and not me? Damien had said it was forbidden for Messenger angels to speak of. My mind picked up a hint of corruption either with the rest of the Messengers, or just Kiba.

I asked Mason, "But why have you been invading my dreams and showing me you hurting Alice? What has she ever done to you? If anything, this should just be between the two of us since you have such bad blood with me." There was a shift in his eyes. I had never been scared of Mason, but now he had a grip of intimidation on me that I wasn't used to. I wasn't even this scared when Damien had jumped me and had a knife to my throat that could of ended my life with one swift movement.

I was fearful for my life, but not scared. This feeling of pure fear was new to my body. Almost alien. Mason started to do something like circling me, but was only going back and forth with his eyes fixed on me. He said, "I don't want anything to do with you, but I do need Alice. You see, the Angels of Omen would only allow me to become one if I freed them. And the only way to free one, is to pour the blood of a Bondage over their imprisonment site. I think you can figure out where this is going now."

I then understood why Bondages were so uncommon now. They were the only way to free the Angels of Omen. A sick feeling hit me in my stomach and I yelled, "You're not going to kill Alice you sick bastard!" Something in me flipped on with knowing his true intentions. He wasn't about to lay a finger on Alice as long as air still filled my lungs. Mason seemed to of gotten closer to me, but only by a foot or so.

There was still a decent distance between us to where I felt safe and out of his wrath. "Those dreams were as real of a scenario as you standing right there. If you couldn't save her in your dreams or when you saw me standing over here, then you're going to be just as worthless when I go after her." A cold heat rushed through my body.

In my dreams I was frozen by fear and the sight of the creature attacking Alice in them. Mason pretended to look at a watch on his wrist and said sarcastically, "Oh would you look at that. I'm wasting time that I could be going after your little Bondage. Listen, no hard feelings about this, kay? I'm just repaying a debt. Think of it like that." I growled and charged at him, but with one wave of his hand I was knocked back as if I had been struck by the air. I hit the cabinets and blacked out.

_Alice_

Thatch held on tightly to my wrist as he dragged me out of the building through the back door. Bertha was running behind me, and Adam was pulling Ebony just like I was being pulled by Thatch. I hated leaving Shun back there with Mason. No.

That wasn't Mason anymore. That was a monster now. It looked like night had fallen above us as we ran down the alley, but only an hour ago it was early morning. This had to be something to do with Mason. The streetlights had flipped on as they sensed the sky darken. My heart rate was speeding rapidly in my chest from running and the adrenaline.

We ran out into the street at the end of the alleyway, and looked around frantically. Just like when the final fight between the Clans happened, the streets were empty and it was as if all of the people in the world had vanished. They wouldn't see or know of what was about to happen. We ran under an awning to a flower shop and panted. Thatch told us, "If he finds us, we need to be careful and stay together. He has powers that we can't even begin to understand. You got to remember, the Seven Lords got rid of them because of that very reason."

My fingers began to go numb with the cold. I had only my sleep clothes on, and no jacket. The cold air was nipping at my exposed skin, and making my skin tighten with chill-bumps. _Alice._ I stood still. _Alice. Help._ I was hearing Shun's voice, but something wasn't right about it. I turned around and saw him laying in the street. Out of instinct, I ran towards him, ignoring Thatch and the others yelling at me to come back. When I knelt by Shun, he vanished into a dark mist, and Mason was standing in front of me. I had fallen into a trap.

_Shun_

I was leaning against the cabinets, completely disoriented. I felt something warm drip down my neck, and brought my hand up to it. My fingertips had blood on them. _At this rate I'm going to get a concussion._ The room was spinning, and my body felt like I had been hit my a train. Plates laid shattered on the floor from where they fell out of the cabinet above me. Silverware was scattered around too. I leaned up, and cringed in pain at the movement. I picked my hand off the floor and looked at my palms.

Glass from the plates had stuck into them, but most of them not far enough to break the skin and only left an indention. I brushed them away and staggered to my feet. When I almost lost my balance, I caught myself on one of the kitchen table's chairs. I turned back and looked at the small pool of blood in front of the broken cabinets. _What happened? _My legs buckled under me, and I dropped to the floor. My hands still held on the back of the chair, and my breathing came out heavy and short.

_Mason._ Why did his name randomly come to my mind? What did he have anything to do with this? _Mason. Angels of Omen. Alice._ I tilted my head back and looked up at the ceiling, and felt my glazed eyes trying to find the answers above me. My mind was trying to piece itself back together from its state of confusion. _Alice…..Help Alice…..You have to help her…..Save her from Mason….._

It all rushed back at me in an instant, and I felt my eyes clear up and I could see clearly. Mason had done this to me after I tried to stop him from hurting Alice. He was probably searching for her right then while I was left in a daze for who knows how long. I stood back up, and felt a rush of vertigo hit me. The wound on my head might not of been able to kill me, but that didn't mean I didn't feel the effects of the blood loss.

I held on tightly to the back of the chair and waited for it pass. Every second felt like an eternity as I waited to recover my center of balance. They were precious minutes and seconds I could use to be helping Alice. When I felt firm on my feet, I ran outside.

Thatch wouldn't of taken them and hidden them in the building. He was much too smart for that. But there was no telling where they had gone and how far they had made it while I was out. There was a screaming in the distance. It was Alice.

She sounded like she was near the Misaki's café a few blocks over. There was only one way I could make my way to her with any chance of doing it on time. I unfolded my wings, tested their movements a few times. They seemed to move easily with no pain from the break given to me from the arrow that killed Tristan. It was now or never to see if they were fully healed.

_Alice_

Mason had scooped me up and I was held in him embrace as we flew over the city. Thatch and the others tried to help me, but he was long out of their range by the time they registered what was going on. I kept screaming and trying to wiggle my way free. Mason kept telling me, "If you break free it's a 200 foot drop to the ground. And I need your blood to pay back a debt."

I didn't care if I feel to my death. I wasn't about to give Mason the satisfaction of killing me. He started to descend to the ground, and landed across from the park near the Misaki's café. Mason slammed me against the brick wall behind me, and I felt my body being weighed down. I looked and saw a dark mist holding me in place like chains. My lip quivered and a tear rolled down my cheek. My body was shaking under the darkness that was surrounding me. Mason slammed his hand into the brick right next to my head, and I squealed and tried to run. "It's pointless. You're not going anywhere. Not until I say otherwise."

There was the flapping of large wings, and I saw Shun drop down to the street right behind Mason. "Shun!" His wing was working, and he found me. I saw his shirt stained with blood, and he didn't seem to be in his top form. Mason turned around and bared his teeth and growled. "You again. I've about had it with you popping up at the most inconvenient times." A dark aura started to surround Mason, and he smiled grimly. I yelled at Shun, "Get out of here!" Before I could blink, Mason threw his hand out and a sphere of darkness flew in Shun's direction.

It hit him, and knocked him back. His body was now laying crumpled in the street, and I saw he tried to get up but it looked like he was being weighed down. He fell back down, and didn't seem to move after that. Tears were flowing from my eyes and I yelled at Mason, "Let me go! Let me go!" He grabbed my chin and directed my face right to his. I clenched my teeth and spit right in his face.

He leaned back and wiped it away. He told me, "I was going to give you a little more time, but you can forget that." I braced myself for my life to be taken away from me. When my eyes were shut, I heard Mason cry out. I opened them back up and saw Damien right above Mason, and the angel wing knife stuck right into Mason's back where his wings were connected.

Blood poured from the knife wound, and he stumbled around to get Damien off of him. Mason lost his hold and the darkness that was holding, and I was freed. The first thing I did was make a dart for Shun. He was limp, but was still alive. His chest slowly moved up and down. "Get…Off…..Of….Me!"

I turned and saw Mason shoot Damien like he did Shun. Damien was slammed into the sidewalk across the street and I heard him groan in pain. By the way he landed it would have been a miracle if he didn't shatter his ribs. Mason yanked the knife from his back and tossed it to the side. It slid on the road and stopped short of me. His attention was fully on Damien, and rage burned in his eyes as he looked over the injured Half-breed. My eyes went back and forth between the knife and Damien.

Without thinking, I picked it up and ran towards Mason. With his back turned away from me, and his focus on killing Damien, I jumped on his back and stuck the knife into his throat. He let out a wail like an injured animal and his arms flailed and I was flung off. Blood spurted from his neck, and he tried to stop it by pressing his hand to the wound. I was covered in blood from the wound next to his wing. Being this close, I got a good look at the damage Damien had caused. The skin around the base of the "wing" was completely ripped apart.

Mason staggered on his feet then fell to his hands and knees. One hand still gripped his neck. Blood splattered from his mouth, and he fell onto his side. The ex-Fallens body twitched in its last final moments of life. I stood over him, and watched as the life in his eyes vanished. He made no more sounds. I tossed the bloody knife next to his lifeless body. Damien was trying to get up on his feet.

I ran over to him and helped him up. He looked at Mason and said, "You killed him, sweetheart. I guess the Higher Powers didn't know you could handle yourself like that." His voice was tired and weak. That one blow did a number on Damien, and no telling what it had done with Shun. It was obvious that Mason's attack on Damien wasn't intended to kill him, but just to get him off of his back.

Shun's though, was intended to kill him. Once I was sure that Damien could stand on his own, I ran back to Shun. He had rolled onto his back, and was tightening his closed eyes in pain. I was too worried of touching him in case I caused him more pain. "Shun. Shun, wake up." Damien walked up behind me, and was holding his ribs. Further down the street, four figures started running towards us.

It was Thatch, Ebony, Adam, and Bertha. They saw Shun and started running towards us faster. Bertha knelt down across from me and looked him over. She looked around and saw me covered in Mason's blood, Damien with his injuries, and Mason's dead body. "What went on here?"

I didn't feel like going into full detail and only told her what happened to Shun. She understood that Shun should be the top priority, and got Thatch and Adam to carefully pick him up. We stayed clear of the damaged kitchen when we returned to the tenement building. Thatch and Adam had taken Shun upstairs to his room, and Bertha was treating his injuries. I was sitting on the couch in the living room in a pair of clean clothes. I had thrown my blood soaked ones away.

There was no point in even trying to salvage them. Damien was sitting next to me. His shirt was off and I could see the bandages around his chest. Ebony had been the one to fix him up since she had picked up a few tricks from Bertha. "Thanks. For saving me back there. I guess I really was wrong about you." He smiled at me and said, "That you did, sweetheart. But it was my job, and I think I did a pretty good job if I say so myself." I rolled my eyes and he laugh, but grabbed onto his side and bent over and groaned. "Ow. It hurts to laugh." It was my turn to laugh, and he glared at me.

Which only made me laugh more. It didn't bother me anymore that he called me sweetheart or acted obnoxious at times. He had done his job as a Guardian and saved me from Mason. I asked him, "Now that you've done your job, what happens now? Are you still assigned to me, or will you go on to somebody else who needs you?" Damien looked up to ponder for a moment and shrugged.

"I don't know. Could go either way, but I guarantee you'll see me around." Damien winked at me and I rolled my eyes. He stood up and walked towards the door. I asked, "Where are you going?" He opened the door and stood in the doorway.

"I've got to go to the Realm and speak with the Higher Powers. That was my orders for when I did my job. I just hung around to get patched up." He smiled and slid his shirt back on. Damien then walked out of the door and took off into the air. The sky outside of the window started to turn from dark like night, back to like it was this morning.

ah, the story's climax. :) the chapter title it based off a skillet song. just wanted to put that out there. i almost felt like i wrote myself into a hole, but came through in the end. ^^ i'll have to start on my x-mas special soon, so the last story may be delayed for a little bit. (I'm not going to start late like i did in _The End Of Our World_) keep an eye out for the sequeal though. i do believe it will go by the name _Forgiven_ and will be based off the song by skillet. i'll say whether the title changes or not, but i do believe that is what im sticking with. well, read, review, and other things. ~Copperpelt~


	13. Blur

_Alice_

I woke up, and my body was sore from laying on the couch in the living room. It was quite obvious that it hadn't been used enough to be broken in. Night had fallen outside, signaling that I had slept most of the day away. What time I had dozed off I didn't know, but it had to be around noon or so. Stress from the morning's events had caused me to fall asleep. Now, I felt slightly more rested and firmer in my mind that I had been before I went to sleep. The springs in the couch groaned as I got up and walked into the kitchen. I was expecting to see the rest of the Clan inside, but it was empty.

The whole where Mason had burst through was still there. Most people passing by on the street would think a car backed into it or something, not that a rogue Fallen had knocked the wall out. Glass littered the tile floor and made it a hazard to go through bare foot. On the other side, were the destroyed cabinets and a pool of dried blood that could of only been left by Shun, because Mason sure hadn't had any wounds on him when he attacked me. The kitchen would need some major repairs. A hammering sounded from outside, and I hurried out of the door and into the cool night.

Thatch was up on a ladder and nailing boards into the brick to cover up the gaping hole. He looked down at me and said calmly, "Need to patch this up or freeze tonight and let every creature inside." It wouldn't stay there long though. It was only a temporary wall for the time. A roll of caution tape was laying on the ground at the base of the ladder. Odds were that it would be stuck up on the boards to warn people not to come near the area. I asked, "You need any help?"

Thatch struck in another nail and said, "Nah. I've got it, but thanks. Have you checked in on Shun yet?" I heard the drag in his voice. Last time I had seen Shun was when Thatch and Adam carried him back to the tenement building. And even at that time, Shun couldn't even stand on his own. I shook my head and said, "Not yet. I just woke up." Thatch nodded his head and went back to nailing.

Back inside, the building felt warmer with the boards helping to block the chilling air seeping inside. "Ouch!" I walked back to the kitchen and saw Adam holding his foot and hopping on the other. Blood trickled from a small hole in the heel of his foot. He swore under his breath at the glass. "You shouldn't of come in here bare foot." He stretched his body out and got a paper towel from the roll and pressed it against his foot.

Adam then expertly made his way out of the kitchen and next to where I was standing. He said, "Well, excuse me for wanting something to eat." He then lumbered off into another room. Bertha was still upstairs tending to Shun as far as I knew. Unless while I was sleeping she had finished up and was hanging around in another room. Either way, I wanted to go and see how Shun was doing for myself.

The staircase seemed endless like it had the first night I was over at the tenement building, and I felt like they would break under me. That was before Tristan attacked, but only a day or so before. Seemed like the stairs played mind games on me whenever something was putting stress on me. I knocked on the door to Shun's room and slowly opened it up and popped my head in first. Bertha was over in front of his closet and pulled out a blanket. "Hello, Alice. You can come in if you want."

I nodded my head and closed the door behind me. As I made my way over to Shun, I saw some of Bertha's handiwork on his wounds. She had wrapped a bandage around his head like the one he had when he was hit in the head by a still unknown attacker, but most of us figured it was probably Mason. His arms were on top of the covers, and his right one had a bandage wrapped around it.

They were covering the wound left when he was knocked back on the street. That was all I could see that wasn't covered by the blanket. There was no telling how bad the rest of him was. Shun's head moved from side to side slowly, and he seemed to be in pain although he wasn't making any sounds. I asked Bertha, "How bad are the rest of his injuries?" I could see his breathing was slow and shallow as he slept. Bertha placed the blanket she pulled out at the foot of Shun's bed.

"He was pretty beat up. He has the two bandages you see now, and on his chest there's a slight burn." I knew the burn was from when Mason shot that attack, or whatever you want to call it, at him. Shun's face looked flushed and red. Bertha noticed as well, and placed the back of her hand on his cheek. "Looks like he's trying to get a fever. Better find some Advil and kill it before it starts."

She left for the medicine, and I sat on the nightstand next to the bed. It would take a few days for Shun to start recovering from the damage Mason caused, and they wouldn't be fun from what I could tell. I didn't know what other kind of effects that shot of darkness Mason flung at Shun may of caused though. The injuries he had, were just from the impact. There could have been other stipulations that went along with it that we didn't know about yet. How would of things played out if Damien showed up earlier?

Would Mason of died before he had the chance to attack Shun? I started to wonder where Damien was now. I had spent so much of my time trying to find ways to hate him and get rid of him, now it felt weird to actually be concerned with him. A part of me wanted the Higher Powers to keep him as my Guardian angel, but it would be up to them what Damien's fate would be. Shun made a noise, and I looked down and saw his eyes had opened slightly. They found me, and I saw surprise in what little of them I could see.

"You're ok." I smiled. Shun didn't know what had happened after the lights went out on him. He never saw Damien save me and take a hit for me. Or see me end Mason's life with the only thing that could kill him. I'd give Shun the details when he was better. "Shh. You need to be resting to get your strength back up." Bertha walked back in the room, and help a white bottle with an Advil label on it. She saw Shun and said, "Ah. I see you're awake for the time. Good, that way you can take these."

She popped the cap and shook two pills out and handed them to Shun. She also had a glass of water in the other hand, and I wondered how she got it from the kitchen without bringing any glass with her on the bottom of her shoes. Shun tried to sit up, but it was easy to see he didn't have the strength to go any further than a few inches. Bertha pressed the pills into the palm of his hand, and he tossed them into his mouth and took a drink of the water to wash them down.

"Good. Now get some rest." Shun was lucky to have somebody like Bertha, to take care of him and his Clan mates when they needed it. She smiled and walked out of the room, leaving me and Shun alone. Shun's eyes started to have problems staying open, meaning he wouldn't be awake for much longer. He had already exerted so much energy just by saying those few words to me and trying to sit up. His eyes stayed shut longer and longer every second, and soon he was out like a light again.

Damien was lucky to only have hurt ribs, while Shun didn't share the same end of that stick. Then again, Mason didn't intend to kill Damien at first like he had Shun. I stood up from the nightstand, almost knocking over the lamp, and walked out of the room Back downstairs, Thatch was sitting on the couch I was sleeping on, and sipping what looked like hot tea.

Shun and Thatch were alike in many ways, although I thought that Thatch was much more quiet. He asked me, "How's he doing?" Apparently, he hadn't checked in on Shun yet. Perhaps Thatch was much more of the distant type than silent. "He's really weak. That's all I know."

He nodded his head and stared down into his tea. The steam came up and hit his face, and he sighed. I knew how he felt, because I was feeling the same way. All of those what would haves kept running around in my mind, and his as well. Shun was just important to me as the rest of the Clan, and if he didn't pull out of this then everyone who depended on him would feel the effects of it.

_Shun_

I didn't care about the pain I was in. All I was able to focus on that Alice was ok. She was alive. Last I had seen of her, Mason had her pinned against a wall and right where he wanted her, and I was of no help to keep her safe. Just like Damien had said to me.

Something inside of me, said that Damien was the reason that Alice was alright. I was awake again. Sleep was something that I couldn't hold onto as jolts of pain randomly struck me. Some were just enough to wake me, while others were enough to knock me out. This go round, was just enough to wake me. The lights in my room had been turned off, and all around me was filled with dark.

The only light was given to me by the little bit of the moon filtering through the barrier, and the streetlights below. Under the blankets, I couldn't tell if my fever was gone or not. I figured it was, or else I'd feel a lot worse than I did at the moment. My thoughts drifted back to the story Mason told to me about his hunt for the Angels of Omen. He had said Kiba told him where to find them. I knew something about Kiba was sleazy, but not to this extent. Kiba intended for all of this to happen.

The hairs on the nape of my neck prickled up at the thought that he might try and pull another stunt like he had with Mason. Why was he manipulating Mason? And what else had he altered? What if he had played a roll in the Clan Wars? That would mean he was responsible for all of the deaths of both my Clan, and Paul's. I hated myself for putting so much trust into Kiba for so many years, when he may have been laying out an elaborate plan behind the scenes. What he attempt now that another of his plans had been ruined?

My head started to throb, and I knew I wouldn't be awake for much longer. My body was making it clear that it had gone to the full extent of what energy I had gotten from my short resting periods. I started to drift away, and my room around me started to float away as well. I immediately fell into a dream. It seemed like I was back in the Realm. The Realm was one of the few things that people stereotyped correctly.

Well, halfway. There were clouds that Holy angels flew up on and looked down on their Fallen brothers and sisters on Earth, but there were also forests and lakes and mountains just like on Earth. Except they were much more cleaner and pure, and well taken care of. Unlike on Earth where they had been torn apart and looked sock compared to those in the Realm. Yet again, another punishment for us Fallens. We have to stare at the pitiful landscape and constantly be reminded of the beauty above us.

I glanced around. There was no telling what part of the Realm I was in, but it was near the temple where the Higher Powers held dominion over the Realm. This was where judgment was dealt for all angels. Here was where it was decided if you Fell or stayed. Just cause I hadn't spent enough time in the Realm to know and remember what everything looked like and what it was, didn't mean I hadn't heard stories and descriptions. And sadly, I got a lot of that information from Kiba.

How much had he told me, been a lie? I walked into the temple, and saw one of those very judgments taking place. It wasn't just any judgment though. It was mine. The executioner that Specks had said vouched for me, was doing that right then. He was practically pleading to the Higher Powers to spare me, and to lighten on my punishment. All six of them, were ones who I didn't recognize.

Simple reason for that was I was too young to remember and they were no longer in power. Their children were now. Nobody could seem to see me. I was invisible. Of course I was. It was a dream after all, even if it did happen this way. A thought came to my mind. If this was when I had gotten my chance to live, then my parents should of still been alive at the time. I left the main chamber and wandered the temple, going by sheer guess where they may have been held. _I wish they had a map of this place._

My footsteps echoed against the marble walls and floor. The temple was much too big to only be used by six angels, in my opinion. Just like Murucho's house. Too many rooms, not enough people. At the end of the hall I was on, there was a large staircase going down into a darker room. It looked like the best place of any to hold prisoners. I walked down the marble steps, and my eyes quickly adjusted to the dark. The further I went, I saw torches lining the wall, and I was no longer in complete blackness.

Cells started to line the walls, and a torch would be between two cells on the little piece of wall that separated them. A low conversation was being carried down at the end of the corridor. I followed it, and found the only prisoners down there. The flame from a torch showed me their face and features. They both looked like me. They had to be my parents. I leaned against the end of the hall and looked into the cell. I hated that they couldn't see me. Who I figured was my father, had jet black hair like mine, and green eyes.

The woman next to him, had auburn hair and gold eyes. He said to her, "Don't worry Blythe, he'll be ok. I promise." He sounded reassuring, but couldn't mask all of the doubt in his voice. My father may of believed the executioner he knew could save me, but there was always a negative side to thinking. The door opened at the other end of the corridor, and the executioner walked down to their cell. He said to my father, "He'll live, but the only way they'll allow it is if he Falls."

There was a flash of shock and repulsion in their eyes. Still to this day, Fallens are the equivalent to a homeless and diseased animal on the streets. They're not wanted, and looked down upon, even by their friends and family they used to have in the Realm. My father lashed back with, "They can't do that! He hasn't done anything! My son doesn't deserve that kind of punishment!" The executioner lowered his head and said, "It's either that or death, Isaiah." The executioner walked away and left the corridor.

My father said under his breath, "I guess this is his fate. Of all things, he has to Fall. I hate to admit it, but I rather he die that face his life as a Fallen." My mother looked at him with shock in her eyes. "Have you gone mad? Our son has a chance to live. Yes, it may not be the best thing that could happen, but he'll be alive. To be honest, I'm worried." I listened carefully. I seriously doubted Specks or even Kiba knew anything about their conversation. My father raised his eyebrows and asked, "Why are you worried, my dear Blythe?"

She looked more at the ground and stayed in thought, and a sad smile went across her face. "I'm worried how he'll change. I know good and well, that he won't be the same when he Falls." Since I had no recollection of how I was before, I couldn't justify her statement. Seeing my parents like this, on the day of their deaths and acting so calmly, was somewhat relieving.

They weren't in hysterical messes and losing their minds. They were calm because they accepted what was happening with not only their selves, but me as well. I was still leaning against the bricks of the wall, my arms folded over my chest and on foot propped against it while the other was on the floor and holding me up.

The executioner returned, and he had more following him. It was time for them to be taken away. I didn't want to watch their deaths. Seeing them beforehand was enough for me. At least now I knew what they looked like, their names, and personalities.

I walked out of the corridor of the cells and back into the main room of the temple. The six Higher Powers were sitting in their chairs, and looking proud with the choices they had made. I didn't know any of their names, and didn't care to. I walked out of the temple, and felt the clean air hit my face. There was no telling how much the Realm had changed since I had Fallen. Probably not much.

I shut my eyes, and when they opened back up, I was back in my room. The dream could have been my mind trying to piece the story together more, or it could have been what really happened. A part in me, felt it was real. That somehow I had seen what I wanted and was meant to, and that alone gave me some relief. Enough relief, that I went into a dreamless sleep. No Angels of Omen. No Mason hunting after Alice. No visions of my past. Just, nothingness.

* * *

><p>omg. so sorry for being super late. i got dragged to walmart and stuff and didnt get back till recently. i was half done when we left, and good thing too or else i'd be up all night working on this. there will be an upload later on tomorrow since i won't have time to work on a new chapter in the morning. (going x-mas shopping with meh aunt) so please do expect a new chapter. plus, it will give everyone time to read this one before i upload again. once more, i'm sorry for not rushing my dad in walmart. read, review, and other things. ~Copperpelt~<p> 


	14. Evil Angel

_Alice_

Loud noises woke me from the guest room I had fallen asleep in. I wasn't about to spend the night on that couch again. The screeches of drills and pounding of hammers exploded from the direction of the kitchen. When I hurried to the source of the noise, repairmen were lining every part of the kitchen with boards, hammers, drills, and nails in their hands. Bertha was watching them work and telling them what she wanted where. She acted like this was a remodeling job instead of repairing damage.

I yelled over the construction noise, "Bertha! Why are they here so early!" She turned around and yelled back at me, "What? I can't hear you! Speak up, Alice!" I threw my hands up, and gave up trying to carry on a conversation over the noise. I saw Bertha shrug her shoulders and continue to direct the workers. She could have been a drill sergeant if she wanted.

No training would be needed for her. There couldn't possibly be anyone in the building still sleeping. If they did, then they had to be seriously drugged or deaf. I was only to picture Adam laid out in his bed and sleeping through the noise. Somebody back in the kitchen swore about hitting their thumb, and Bertha said he would live. My hands were on my ears to shield my hearing from the noise. My only hope to not go deaf would be to go upstairs.

It would help a little, and I wanted to check on Shun anyway. I ran up the stairs, running more from the sounds than to get up there quickly. I walked into Shun's room and shut the door to muffle the hammering downstairs. Shun was actually sitting up. He was looking at me and around the room. "What the hell are they doing down there? Tearing the place apart?" I was more excited to see that Shun was strong enough to sit up and speak. Yesterday, he couldn't even hold his eyes open.

He was still pale in the face though. I said, "They're doing just the opposite. They're repairing the kitchen that was damaged by Mason…..I see you're feeling better." Shun smiled at me. The bandages on his right arm seemed to have started to become loose, and they were falling near the top.

He looked down at them and said, "Don't worry about them. They can probably come off now." I jumped at the sudden sound of a hammer coming out of nowhere, and my mind quickly reminded me what was going on in the kitchen. "I would get Bertha to redress those bandages, but now might not be the best time. She's going completely drill sergeant on those repairmen." Shun laughed.

I noticed he didn't have a shirt on, and I could see the bandages wrapped around his chest. "Damien. He saved you the other night. Didn't he?" Shun had figured out that Damien was the reason I was standing right in front of him. I'd have to tell him eventually anyway. He'd want to know why I was ok. "Yeah. If he hadn't, then there's no telling what would of happened." Shun nodded his head.

"I'm grateful for him saving you." I thought Shun would have been beating himself up because he wasn't the one that protected me. Damien had said to us that Shun wouldn't be able to keep me safe when the time came, and he was right. Shun had been injured when I needed him the most. I didn't blame him though. Shun just making it all that way when he was hurt, meant more than anything to me.

It showed me that he wasn't about to give up on me. Or himself. Shun grabbed onto his bandaged side, and grimaced in pain. I walked over next to him and made him lay back down. He felt warm when my hand touched his shoulder. _His fever is coming back._ Bertha had stopped it before it had a chance to gain any momentum. I dug around in the drawer of the nightstand to find the bottle of Advil that she left for him in case his fever did return or if he needed a break from pain.

The glass of water Bertha brought in last night had no ice left. I shook two of the pills out and handed them to Shun. He took them without any hesitation. I expected something like this to happen. It would take Shun a little while to recover from the injuries. Although angels, both Holy and Fallen, heal quickly, it all depends on the extent of the injuries. And Shun's were pretty bad. I could see in his face that the pain was fading away, and he looked relieved. "Ok….That hurt."

I brushed the hair out of his face and put it to the side, then placed a kiss on his forehead. "I'm going back downstairs. You rest up and don't try and strain yourself." He smiled at me and said sarcastically, "Yes, Bertha." I leaned away from him and gave him a look and said, "I'm not the one downstairs driving repairmen insane." We both laughed, and I saw he was starting to fall asleep. _Good._ _He needs to rest._

I stepped into the hall and shut the door so the commotion downstairs wouldn't bother him. It wasn't as loud as when I went into Shun's room, but it was still annoying to my ears. An idea popped into my mind and I ran downstairs quickly and swiped my jacket, then ran back up them. My arms slid through the sleeves, and I went into the storage room. Once all the boxes were out of my way, I climbed up the now visible ladder and went onto the roof.

Snow was starting to accumulate, and would soon need to be cleaned away again. The winter air felt clean and fresh. Like a new day had dawned on us with Mason's death and Shun's slow, but steady recovery. People walked down below me, and occasionally stopped and looked at the covered hole in the wall as their hearing caught the sound of construction work.

My eyes scanned the people, and I caught a flash of bright blue hair. It was Runo walking past the tenement building, and Dan was with her. They were covering their ears as they walked past the building. There was no point in yelling out their names from up on the roof. They wouldn't hear me because of what was going on below. I darted for the hatch in the roof and slid down the ladder and ran down the stairs.

I shot by the kitchen so quickly, that the construction didn't even phase me. Once out of the door, I found them walking down the sidewalk. "Runo! Dan!" They bother turned, and a few people stared at me as I yelled out my friends' names. I ran up to them, and was panting hard. Runo asked, "Alice, where have you been? You said that you'd call me two days ago, but you never did.

I was starting to get really worried." Dan then followed her with, "Yeah. We've all been trying to get a hold of your phone, but you never picked up. Murucho was even starting to think you were in trouble." I hadn't even thought of checking my phone. Not with almost being killed by Mason and then worrying about Shun's condition. But I just couldn't tell them the true story.

They'd never believe me, and even three or four months ago if I heard my story I wouldn't of bought it either. I had to come up with an excuse quickly. "My phone broke a few days ago. I had dropped it out of my coat pocket and into some melted snow. I meant to try and call you guys, but I just kept forgetting. Sorry." Runo sighed and said, "Alice, I swear you can be a klutz at times. With all of the dishes you break at the café, and now your phone."

I laughed nervously. At least they bought my lie. Now I'd have to break my phone for real to back it up. That shouldn't of been too difficult since it was partially shattered anyway from when I threw it against the wall in Shun's room. I asked them, "So, where are you two going?"

Dan smiled and said, "We were just heading to the coffee shop to meet up with Murucho and Julie for a drink. Wanna come with?" I nodded my head. Shun wouldn't be awake for several hours, and it gave me a reason to be out of that noisy building. Besides, I needed some quality time with the other Brawlers. Dan waved his hand and said, "Well, come on. They aren't gunna wait forever."

I chased after them and after a walk down two or three blocks, we were at The Bean. Under the logo was _'Bay City's Best Coffee.'_ I laughed on the inside. It was Bay City's _only_ coffee shop, which automatically made it the best. The whole shop smelled of coffee and desserts, and smooth jazz played over the speakers. Murucho and Julie were sitting by the window, and waved at us when they saw us enter. Julie had on brown earmuffs and mittens, and Murucho had on a blue scarf. Both were wearing jackets to match their accessories. Dan, Runo, and I sat across from them.

Julie squealed and said, "It's so nice to see you guys again! And I haven't seen you in a while Alice! Been with Shun I bet! So go on, tell me everything. What have you two been up to?" I hated when Julie went into reporter mode. I told her calmly, "Nothing interesting." Her bottom lip pouted out slightly, but she got over it. "I thought you and the mysterious Shun would have a more exciting relationship. Eh, oh well. Hey! Waiter! Bring us a thing of biscotti's please!"

A skinny little boy wearing a white shirt and pants nodded his head and ran into the kitchen. He returned with a basket of biscotti cookies and left us as quickly as he brought them. Julie bit into one and squealed. "Ooh! They're still warm and fresh! But seriously Alice, nothing interesting happened? Are you and Shun really that boring?" _If only you knew half of the things that happened._

"Nope. Just a few dates and that was it. I guess we do have a dull relationship." The door chimed as somebody entered, and I something told me to turn around. Standing in line was Kiba. My body tensed at the sight of him, and I turned back around and slid down in my chair. Murucho asked, "Alice, what's wrong? You freaked out when you saw that guy over there. Do you know him or something?"

I snuck a glance back at him. His hair wasn't neat and pristine like usual, and there was almost a wild look in his eyes. Kiba looked like he hadn't slept in days. "I kind of know him, but all I can say is stay away from him. He's nothing but trouble." I couldn't take my gaze from him. I was too afraid to let him out of my sight. I might not have been as apprehensive if Shun were there beside me, but he wasn't. I only had my friends that couldn't see him for what he was, didn't know what he was, or anything about what he was capable of.

"May I get you something to drink?" I jumped and saw the waiter who had brought our biscotti's, holding a notepad and a pen. Murucho said, "Go on and tell him if you want something, Alice. Don't worry about paying for anything. It's all on me." I nodded m head, and felt my heart still racing. "Um, just some hot tea please. With chamomile." I needed something to calm me and put me at ease if Kiba stayed and drank his coffee while we were still in the shop.

Our drinks arrived, and while I sipped my tea I never took my gaze off of Kiba. I felt the chamomile working its magic, and my mind wasn't as distracted as it had been. All of our drinks and biscotti's were gone now, and Murucho left a hundred on the table. Dan said, "Uh, it wasn't that much. You know that, right?" The short blonde pushed his glasses back up on his nose and said, "I know. The rest is a tip. Plus, it was the smallest bill I had on me."

Dan shook his head and we walked out of the coffee shop. Dusk was starting to fall, and I could feel the temperature drop in the air. Julie and Murucho walked off in the opposite direction we came from, and waved good-bye to us. Dan asked me, "So, where you going Alice?"

I stuffed my cold hands into my jacket pocket and said, "I guess back to Shun's. I would go back to Runo's, but Shun hasn't really been feeling too well as of lately. And I said I'd take care of him till he was better." Dan and Runo both nodded. The bluenette said, "How about we walk you back to Shun's? You seemed a little freaked when you saw that guy in the coffee shop. And you still seem jumpy. I'd hate to let you walk the streets by yourself and be paranoid by every sound and shadow."

I smiled and thanked her. It was nice to have company with me as I walked back. I was grateful that they went with me back to the tenement building. I seriously doubted that Kiba was going to do anything to me, but you never know. It was Kiba after all. We were now standing in front of the stairs to the tenement building, and we all said our good-byes to one another.

The sounds of hammering and drilling had vanished, and when I walked inside, so had the repairmen. _They must have gone home. _The kitchen was looking great. The gaping hole in the wall, was almost completely repaired, and the damaged cabinets were fixed. There was a method to Bertha's madness.

I took off my jacket and walked upstairs to Shun's room. I didn't really care to know where the rest of the Clan was. I poked my head in the door to Shun's room, and saw he was sleeping soundly. He hadn't seemed to have woken up the entire day after I left. I slowly backed out of the room, and shut the door silently. There wasn't really any point in disturbing him, even if all that construction noise didn't. I walked into the guest room I that I had started to call my own, and laid back on the bed.

_No One_

The lights of the coffee shop were being turned off, and a waiter told him that they were closing and he needed to live. The Messenger angel ignored the request, and stared down into his cold cup of coffee. How could his plan of failed once more? For a third time off all things! His grip tightened around the white, ceramic coffee cup as his anger boiled at his failure. He promised himself that this plan wouldn't fail like the others. But it had. And oh how that stung the Messenger angel's ego and confidence!

He had run every possible outcome that could play out, and he still failed. When he saw that it didn't go how he planned at all, his mind started to slip from his grip. It had never been firm in its place from the start, but now he may of lost it for good. He never slept when he realized things didn't go his way. The Messenger stayed up since then and tried to see where everything went wrong. The plan was airtight!

And it still ended with his own defeat! True he didn't add in the variable of the Half-breed, Damien, but he felt as though the half Messenger and half human wasn't a threat to him. And even when he added in the Half-breed, his plan should of still come out a success. What was wrong? What had he forgotten? The grip he held on the coffee cup tightened, and the ceramic shattered from the force.

The waiter said to him that he would have to pay for the cup, and clean up the mess the cold coffee left. Then, he began telling the Messenger angel that once he did that he had to leave. He scooped up shards of coffee cup in his hands, and squeezed them. Blood trickled from his fist like juice did from an orange. The waiter felt ill at the sight, and threatened to call the police if he didn't leave. The Messenger laughed and said calmly, " And what do you think that will accomplish?"

The waiter was shaking violently as the Messenger approached him. A small trail of blood followed beside everyone of his steps. The waiter fumbled out his phone and only punched in one number before the Messenger slapped it from his hands. His wings unfolded, and the waiter could see them.

The Messenger was allowing him to see them. An inhuman shriek came from the waiter, and his lifeless body collapsed to the ground. Blood pooled on the tile floor, and he smiled down at his handiwork. "Soon. Soon I'll come for you. Soon." He threw his head back and laughed maniacally to himself. He said through gritted teeth with a laugh, "Soon, Shun. Soon."

* * *

><p><strong>PLEASE MAKE A NOTE OF THE AUTHOR'S NOTE TO SAVE YOURSELF FROM CONFUSION!<strong>

**Chapter title based off the song by Breaking Benjamin.**

ah. cliffhangers. so fun, yet so evil. -does evil face- well, i did say it would be longer than the last, but not by much. but in my opinion there was more drama to fill in the holes left in the last one where the war took up most of the story and explaining the whole set up. but, i do need to start on my x-mas special. i think this was an ok place to leave off of. as i said before, keep an eye out for the sequeal. **THERE HAS BEEN A TITLE CHANGE! PLEASE NOTE THIS!** **The story won't be going by _Forgiven _**any longer for i was looking through my Spoitfy and found a song to base the third and final book on. **keep a look out for a story going by** **_Anthem Of The Angels_**! also look out for my x-mas special. i dont know what its title will be yet or how long it will be. but i WILL finish it before or right at x-mas. i swear it! lol. well, read, review, and other things! ~Copperpelt~


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